THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 27, 1996 TAG: 9605270141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 72 lines
The anatomy of a winning streak usually includes timely hits, runs scored with two outs, solid pitching and stellar defense.
That about sums up the Norfolk Tides' 2-0 victory over the Richmond Braves Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park.
The Tides won their sixth straight by employing all of the above.
Norfolk collected only five hits, but two of those came in two of the three innings when the Tides had runners on base.
The Tides capitalized on a two-out walk to Roberto Petagine in the fourth when Jason Hardtke followed with a run-scoring double to the gap in right.
Norfolk scored its other run in the sixth. Andy Tomberlin led off with a line drive off the glove of third baseman Robert Smith. Tomberlin then kicked the ball out of shortstop Ed Giovanola's glove on a steal attempt at second. Matt Franco singled to center to score Tomberlin.
``When you get on a roll like this, there's a confidence that starts before the game even starts,'' Franco said. ``And that's more important than anything else.
``Two weeks ago we were losing by 10-8 or 2-1. Now we're winning the 2-1 game and the 10-8 game.''
The Tides, owners of the best record in the International League, improved to 27-20. And they've done it without the services of what was expected to be the best outfield corps the IL had to offer.
The anticipated trio of Alex Ochoa, Jay Payton and Kevin Flora has spent more time in the training room of late.
Ochoa is bothered by a strained hamstring, Payton is out for close to two months following elbow surgery and Flora is out of the lineup with a sprained thumb.
In their place have been Gary Thurman, who has hit four home runs during the streak, recent Double-A callup Benny Agbayani, who delivered a three-run home run Saturday night, and Tomberlin, acquired four weeks ago in a trade.
Tides manager Bobby Valentine is most impressed that the streak has taken place without Ochoa, the IL's leading hitter at .359. Ochoa came out after three innings the night the streak started when he felt tightness in his hamstring during a steal attempt. His pinch-hit at-bat in the seventh inning Sunday was his first appearance since.
``He's one of the guys who'd been in the lineup every day,'' Valentine said. ``The team has reacted extremely well with him out of the lineup.''
Mike Fyhrie, who'd lost his three previous starts, went seven innings scattering six hits to pick up the victory. The Braves failed to bunch two hits in any inning.
``I didn't have my best stuff, but I've had times when I had my great stuff and got hit,'' Fyhrie said. ``I made the pitches when I needed to and when your team is streaking, the defense always seems to be there.''
Among the crowd pleasers were two double plays started by shortstop Shawn Gilbert, Fyhrie's snag of a line drive by Pedro Swann in the sixth with a runner on second and one out, and dazzling glove play by Petagine at first base in the eighth and ninth as he stopped hard ground balls by Ed Giovanola and Swann.
Derek Wallace came on to record the last two outs for his seventh save.
Chris Brock (3-5) absorbed the loss despite retiring the side in four of the seven innings he pitched.
``Funny about this game, isn't it?'' Valentine said. ``But (streaks) are as much a part of this game as home runs and shutouts. You've got to take advantage of it when you're hot.''
NOTES: The New York Mets' Paul Byrd (back injury) will begin a 30-day major league rehabilitation stint with the Tides today. Byrd will be used as a relief pitcher. ... The Tides will start Mike Gardiner (6-0, 1.40) against Brad Woodall (5-3, 3.14) in today's game in Richmond beginning at 2 p.m. ILLUSTRATION: MIKE HEFFNER\The Virginian-Pilot
Tides second baseman Jason Hardtke, right, chases down Richmond's Ed
Giovanola in a rundown and makes the tagout. by CNB