THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 3, 1996 TAG: 9609030168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 54 lines
With nothing better to do on the last night of the regular season, the Norfolk Tides exorcised a demon.
After losing the last three times they faced Richmond Braves pitcher Chris Brock, the Tides tagged Brock for seven hits and five runs in the first five innings on their way to an 8-3 victory at Harbor Park.
``Every time he'd pitched against us, he'd kind of (stuck it to the Tides),'' Benny Agbayani said after singling twice and scoring twice in the 13-hit attack. ``We couldn't get him. But with it being the last game of the season, we were more relaxed.''
And, evidently, the Braves (62-79) were ready to end their season. No Brave even threatened to draw a walk in the fastest game the Tides had played in nearly a month (two hours, 16 minutes).
``They all know they're going home tonight and they're not playing as well as they could,'' Tides first baseman Matt Franco said. ``I've been there before. It's tough.''
The Tides (82-59) are headed in a completely opposite direction, winners of four straight heading into the playoffs. They face Columbus (85-57) in a best-of-five International League Governors' Cup semifinal series beginning Wednesday night at Harbor Park.
Five Tides, including Agbayani, finished the season with multiple-hit games. Kevin Roberson rapped three doubles, Alberto Castillo had two doubles, Luis Rivera went 3 for 3 and Franco singled and doubled.
Franco could have used one of Roberson's or Castillo's extra doubles. His double to the gap in right in the first inning gave him 40, one shy of the single-season club record set by Mark Carreon in 1987.
Franco finished fourth in the IL batting race, hitting .323 to rank behind Charlotte's Billy McMillon (.352) and Pawtucket's Rudy Pemberton (.326) and Phil Clark (.325).
The Tide with the most surprising bat Monday night, however, was starting pitcher Mike Gardiner, who drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and a two-run double in the fourth.
Gardiner, who is slated the start Game 4 of the Columbus series, was on a pitch count and left the game after five innings. He did, however, up his record to 13-3, a career high for victories in a season.
The Tides also finish the season with the top three pitchers in earned run average - Mike Fyhrie (3.04), Rick Reed (3.16) and Gardiner (3.21).
``We accomplished what we wanted to do and that was finish on a winning note,'' Tides manager Bruce Benedict said.
``And it feels good to beat Brock. He'd thrown some outstanding games at us and is a tough competitor who likes to win. We hadn't had much success against him until tonight.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Richmond leftfielder Raul Rodarte leaps but is unable to catch up to
Kevin Roberson's double for the Tides at Harbor Park. by CNB