THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 18, 1996 TAG: 9606180444
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 55 lines
Patience was a virtue for the Norfolk Tides Monday night.
The Tides led off four of their eight innings with walks and scored in each of those innings as they beat the Syracuse Chiefs 7-3 at Harbor Park.
``You learn that in Little League,'' said Tides first baseman Matt Franco. ``It seems inevitable that if you walk that first guy, he comes around to score.''
The victory, the Tides' third straight, leaves Norfolk 11 games over .500 for the first time this season at 39-38 and 3 1/2 games ahead of Columbus in the International League West Division.
The Tides scored in the first when Shawn Gilbert walked to lead off, Jason Hardtke executed a hit-and-run through the left side to move Gilbert to third and Franco scored Gilbert with a sacrifice fly down the leftfield foul line.
``The whole point of this game is to get on base any way you can,'' Gilbert said. ``Tonight I was fortunate enough to wait out their pitcher (starter Scott Brow) and get on.''
Gilbert did it again to start the third. After Hardtke popped up behind the plate, Franco grounded to Syracuse first baseman John Ramos, who hesitated before throwing to second. Gilbert beat the throw, then shortstop Tilson Brito threw wildly back to first, allowing Gilbert to move to third.
Alex Ochoa then chopped a grounder to first and Gilbert beat Ramos' throw to the plate. Brian Daubach singled to right to score Franco from second as Ochoa moved to third and Kevin Roberson grounded into a fielder's choice to short, scoring Ochoa and putting the Tides up 4-0.
``When a team gets a leadoff walk, they start smelling it,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``It takes something out of a pitcher and he usually gets down in his tank. By the end of the inning, he might have thrown anywhere from 18 to 25 pitches just to get that third out.''
Tides starter Mike Fyhrie had no similar problems and carried a no-hitter through 4 1/3 innings before the Chiefs broke it up and scored three runs in the fifth.
Ochoa tried to keep the no-hitter alive with a diving catch of Brito's sinking liner to the gap in right. But the ball fell in for a double. After Felix Jose flew out to right, Ramos and Miguel Cairo dropped in bloop singles and Sharnol Adriana's long fly to center dropped in when Gary Thurman had problems picking it up off the bat.
In the fifth, it was Hardtke's turn to draw a leadoff walk, scoring on a double to the gap in left by Franco. Franco then scored when Ochoa bunted for a single and Brow threw wildly up the line at first.
The Tides scored their final run in the seventh. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Shawn Gilbert of the Tides tiptoes past Syracuse catcher Rich
Rowland to score in the third inning. Gilbert, who led off the
inning with a walk, scored the first of three Norfolk runs in the
third. by CNB