THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 11, 1996 TAG: 9605110463
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
After Andy Tomberlin's leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning, Norfolk Tides pitcher Mike Fyhrie figured ``we'd get 10 or 11 runs.''
So much for that calculation.
The Tides failed to plate another run and fell to the Syracuse Chiefs, 3-1, Friday night at Harbor Park.
Derek Brandow, Syracuse's starting pitcher, went 5 1/3 innings and got hitless relief from four teammates, including eventual winner Paul Spoljaric, as the Chiefs (15-11) remained tied with Pawtucket for first place in the International League East Division.
The Tides (16-15) dropped their second straight, but still lead the West Division by a half-game over Charlotte, which was rained out in Ottawa.
These division leaders continue this four-game series tonight at 7:15 p.m.
Fyhrie didn't make many mistakes himself. But the few he made proved costly.
After pitching five scoreless innings, Fyhrie (3-2) offered Wes Chamberlin a first-pitch curveball in the top of the sixth. Chamberlin golfed it into the picnic area beyond leftfield for his eighth home run of the season.
``It was a low breaking ball,'' said Chamberlin, who has been in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox in parts of the last six seasons. ``I just went down and got it.''
Fyhrie, who equalled the season's team-high in strikeouts with 10, left after facing two batters in the eighth.
``I don't know if (Chamberlin) was looking for it or what,'' said Fyhrie, who lowered his earned run average to 2.06, second in the IL to teammate Mike Gardiner (1.43). ``He's a real powerful hitter when he gets those arms of his extended. I was trying to make him hit it to the right side, but it didn't happen.''
Fyhrie struck out four of the next six Chiefs he faced.
But Scott Pose opened the eighth with a sharp single to left. When Shannon Stewart laid down what was to be a sacrifice bunt, Fyhrie lost his footing while turning to second and threw the ball into centerfield attempting to get Pose.
``My back leg slipped,'' Fyhrie said. ``I should have re-evaluated and gone to first.''
Derek Wallace came on in relief and coaxed Chamberlin, who is leading the IL with a .400 average, to ground into a double play. But Randy Knorr's chopper to the left of the mound for an infield single scored Pose from third for a 2-1 lead.
Tilson Brito led off the ninth with his second home run off the season and the first given up by Wallace in 20 1/3 innings in relief.
Dane Johnson came on in the bottom of the ninth for the Chiefs and struck out the side for his IL-leading ninth save. ILLUSTRATION: MIKE HEFFNER/The Virginian Pilot
Andy Tomberlin got the Tides off to a quick start with an
opposite-field homer in the first, but Syracuse prevailed, 3-1.
by CNB