THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605160530
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
This one was over almost before it began.
The Toledo Mud Hens struck for seven runs in the first three innings - three of those runs coming on their first three swings of the bat - and walloped the Norfolk Tides 9-4 in front of 9,427 Wednesday afternoon at Harbor Park.
Mike Fyhrie, who had shut out the Mud Hens in his first start of the season, failed to make it out of the second inning this time.
``I've had one or two starts this season when I didn't have my good stuff, but I got by by spotting my pitches well,'' said Fyhrie (3-3).
``This time, I didn't have my good stuff and I wasn't spotting it well either. That's a bad combination.''
Toledo opened the game with an infield single by Fausto Cruz and a soft single to right by John Cotton. Phil Hiatt followed with his 10th home run of the season, a shot to right-center.
``It was just a bad pitch,'' Fyhrie said. ``I tried to climb the ladder on a 2-2 pitch, but it just didn't go where I wanted it to go.''
Cruz, Cotton and Hiatt came back up in the second inning and delivered a single, a double and a single. With the addition of Tony Clark's double to the leftfield gap, the Mud Hens went up 6-0 and Fyhrie was done.
The Tides then marched out four relievers to marginal success and found themselves trailing 9-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
``Give (Trever) Miller credit for shutting us down,'' said Tides manager Bobby Valentine. ``He had good stuff.''
Miller, who improved to 4-3, went 6 1/3 innings giving up just four hits and one earned run.
If Norfolk had a chance at a comeback against Toledo, it came in the seventh.
Alex Ochoa led off with a single and Roberto Petagine followed with a run-scoring double. After Kevin Flora struck out, Miller gave way to relief pitcher Ben Blomdahl.
Luis Rivera then hit a shot to the gap in right, but Micah Franklin made a diving over-the-shoulder grab that kept Petagine at second.
After Chris Howard reached on an error and Gary Thurman walked to load the bases, Andy Tomberlin flew out to the warning track in left.
The Tides did strike for three runs in the eighth off relief pitcher Bob Scanlan, with the big shot being a two-run home run by Petagine.
But by then they were so far behind a comeback was unlikely and Mike Walker came on in the ninth for the Mud Hens to retire the side.
The Tides, now 18-18 after a 2-4 homestand, are still in first place in the International League West Division.
Norfolk visits the Pawtucket Red Sox for a four-game series beginning tonight when Mike Gardiner (5-0, 1.24 ERA) faces Pawtucket's Tim VanEgmond (4-2, 3.47). ILLUSTRATION: Photo
HUY NGUYEN/
Toledo's Raul Casanova can't make the tag on Norfolk's Matt Franco,
scoring on an eighth-inning Alex Ochoa hit. Too little too late,
though.
by CNB