THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 29, 1996 TAG: 9607290119
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 68 lines
It's official. The Norfolk Tides are slumping.
The question now: When will it end?
The Tides haven't won a series since the All-Star break and won't win this one with Ottawa, owner of the worst record in the International League, following Sunday night's 3-2 loss to the Lynx at Harbor Park.
The Tides close out the three-game set tonight at 7:15, then begin a seven-day, nine-game road trip Tuesday.
As with the previous night, when they gave up five last-inning runs in a 5-2 loss, the Tides let this one slip away in the ninth. Ryan McGuire's leadoff home run to right off reliever Bob MacDonald broke a 2-2 tie.
``The difference is we hit two balls that hit the top of the fence and end up as triples (by Matt Franco and Benny Agbayani),'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``And they hit one that hits the top of the fence and goes out for a home run.''
The loss dropped the Tides (59-46) out of first place in the IL's West Division for the first time since May 5. Columbus (60-45) downed the Toledo Mud Hens 8-1 to move into first, one game ahead of Norfolk.
``It's better to never have (a slump) happen,'' Franco said. ``But if you're going to (hit a slump) it's better to have it happen with five weeks left than at the end. We're just in a bad stretch. We can recover.''
Since the break the Tides have lost a trio of three-game series to Rochester, Toledo and Columbus, split a four-game set with Toledo, split a two-game set with Columbus, and are on the verge of being swept for the first time this season.
``We haven't been playing with a full deck,'' Valentine said. ``We've misfired and it's time to reload.''
The shotgun shells the Tides are missing include second baseman Jason Hardtke (out with a knee injury), outfielder Kevin Flora (out due to wrist surgery) and outfielder Gary Thurman (aggravated existing wrist injury four days ago).
All three should rejoin the Tides' roster in the next week. And none too soon.
``Hardtke was hitting (.336) in the second spot,'' Franco said. ``He was getting on and giving me and Petagine a chance at driving him in. Tonight I hit in the second spot. We're obviously shuffling the lineup trying to find something that works.''
It seemed to work Sunday when Franco led off the fourth with a triple off the wall in right and scored on Agbayani's groundout to second.
The Lynx, however, took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Steve Bieser drove home Raul Chavez and Scott Coolbaugh, who'd both reached earlier in the inning on singles.
In the sixth, Franco walked, moved up on a single by Agbayani, and scored to tie the game on Kevin Roberson's single on an 0-2 count.
The Tides best chance after that came when Luis Rivera led off the seventh with a single, moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Howard and took third on a fly ball to right by pinch-hitter Jay Payton. But Ottawa reliever Dave Leiper painted the inside corner to strike out Shawn Gilbert and end the threat.
``There was a time earlier in the season when we were having a big five-run or six-run inning almost every night and it allowed us to play loose,'' Franco said. ``Even when we were in the tight games, we'd go into the seventh feeling we were going to win. Now, we're wondering when something bad's going to happen.'' ILLUSTRATION: L. TODD SPENCER
Norfolk's Chris Howard got the putout on Ottawa's Rick Schu in the
7th. But the Tides ended the night in second for the first time
since May 5. by CNB