THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, July 15, 1996                 TAG: 9607150128
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JAMES BLACK, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   50 lines

TIDES HELD TO 2 HITS IN 2-0 LOSS TO ROCHESTER NORFOLK WAS SHUT OUT FOR ONLY THE 4TH TIME SEASON

First there was the bad weather and then there was Rochester's Garrett Stephenson.

Following a two-hour rain delay, Norfolk's hot bats were reduced to two singles as the Tides lost 2-0 to the Red Wings in the first game of an International League doubleheader at Harbor Park. The Tides (54-36), who scored 13 runs on 15 hits Saturday night, were shut out for the fourth time this season.

``He pitched a really good game against us,'' Norfolk manager Bobby Valentine said of Stephenson (4-5), who threw a complete game.

``Joe (Crawford) pitched a really good game (for us), too, but made one bad pitch against the guy's strength.''

A fastball down the plate was Crawford's fifth-inning offering to Billy Owens. The Rochester leftfielder sent the pitch over the picnic area in leftfield and into the parking lot for a 1-0 lead.

``I left it a little bit over the middle,'' Crawford said. ``He was looking and I left it in.''

Crawford, who allowed six hits in seven innings, retired the first seven batters he faced before allowing a one-out walk to Jim Wawruck in the third inning. The Red Wings' first hit came on B.J. Waszgis' bloop single to leftfield with one out in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Stephenson was just as effective. Gary Thurman led off the first inning with a single to leftfield but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. Benny Agbayani, who had seven RBI Saturday night, singled with two out in the second. He was the last Tides batter to reach base.

``That's been a trade of Garrett's this year,'' Rochester manager Marv Foley said. ``He's gotten stronger as the game goes along.''

Though Stephenson finished with six strikeouts, he kept the Tides in check with his control. Stephenson allowed no walks and only faced three-ball counts twice.

``I went eight days between starts and my arm was feeling really strong,'' Stephenson (4-5) said. ``I felt really good and went as hard as I could for as long as I could.''

For good measure, the Red Wings (44-43) added an insurance run in the seventh.

Owens, who had the only two extra-base hits in the game, reached on a one-out double and scored on Jim Wawruck's single for a 2-0 lead. ILLUSTRATION: STANDINGS

SCHEDULE

[For a copy of the chart, see microfilm for this date.] by CNB