THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 16, 1996 TAG: 9608160741
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 55 lines
It's a wonder manager Bobby Valentine's stomach didn't implode at The Diamond Thursday night as the Norfolk Tides fell 6-3 to the Richmond Braves.
Antacid moment No. 1: After giving up a leadoff double to Tony Graffanino, starting pitcher Shannon Withem and first basemen Matt Franco mixed signals, both going after a bunt by Pedro Swann, neither covering first base.
Moment No. 2: With runners at first and third and a run already in, catcher Alberto Castillo attempted to pick Swann off third. Shawn Gilbert failed to glove it cleanly and Robert Smith went from first to second as the ball got away.
Moment No. 3: Juan Williams walked on a 3-2 count on a questionable ball-four call, loading the bases.
Moment No. 4: Castillo dropped a Raul Rodarte pop-up behind the plate; Rodarte then walked to force in a run.
Moment No. 5: Withem gave up a single to Kevin Grijak, marking the sixth consecutive Braves batter to reach base. In Withem's previous start, he did not record an out against the Rochester Red Wings, giving up six hits.
It took 18 minutes for the Braves to score five first-inning runs and a little over two more hours for Richmond to keep the Tides, who have lost six of their last eight, 3 1/2 games behind first-place Columbus in the International League West Division.
Asked if he'd seen anything like Withem's last two shaky starts, Valentine shook his head and named some rather impressive major leaguers.
``Bobby Witt, Edwin Correa, Wilson Alvarez,'' Valentine said. ``It happens. You've just got to keep your composure and believe it can't be that bad the next time out. But that's what we were thinking the last time out.''
Withem, who refused to field questions afterward, is 0-3 in five starts with a 6.95 earned run average since joining the team from Double-A Binghamton.
Norfolk (69-55) struck for a run in the second when Jason Hardtke scored on Mike Hostetler's wild pitch. The Tides scored again in the third when Franco doubled home Gilbert, who reached on a throwing error by Smith.
Antacid moments No. 6 and 7 followed shortly.
Consecutive two-out singles by Gilbert, Franco and Benny Agbayani plated a run in the fifth and Hardtke walked to load the bases. But Kevin Roberson struck out on three pitches, including a called third strike.
In the seventh, the Tides had runners at first and second with one out when Hardtke, who had homered three times in the Tides' last five games. lifted a potential game-tying shot to left. Raul Rodarte, who normally plays third, gloved it at the fence and fired to Smith at short, who doubled Agbayani off first. Agbayani had rounded second and was on Franco's heels between second and third when the ball was caught.
``I made one of our mistakes over-running second,'' Agbayani said. ``But I was thinking Hardtke had hit it out.
``We're a pretty good team. We can't hang our heads. Hopefully, we got it out of our system tonight.'' by CNB