DATE: Sunday, July 27, 1997                 TAG: 9707270191

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   72 lines

6TH STRAIGHT LOSS DROPS TIDES OUT OF FIRST PLACE

Sunday is typically a day of rest for the Norfolk Tides.

Sure, they normally play a baseball game. But batting practice is optional, if it's held at all.

Not any more. Not today anyway.

Manager Rick Dempsey, on the heels of the Tides' sixth consecutive loss, spit venom as he announced there would be no more off days for the Tides and that the team will be taking mandatory batting practice prior to today's game scheduled for 6:15 p.m.

``Everybody is taking their turns blowing games for us and I'm real, real, real tired of it,'' Dempsey said. ``The built-in off days will be fundamental days. We're playing like we need a lot of work and we're going to get it.''

The Tides, who have now lost six straight for the first time in 3 1/2 years, have two built-in off days remaining: Aug. 14 and 21.

``He's as frustrated as anybody on this team right now,'' Tides second baseman Shawn Gilbert said. ``We could show up tomorrow and everything could start clicking. But right now we can't put it together. If we get good pitching, we struggle in other areas.''

That was the case Saturday as the Tides dropped a 3-2 decision to the Syracuse SkyChiefs at Harbor Park. The loss dropped the Tides (59-45) into second place in the International League West Division, one game behind Columbus. It's the first time since May 28 that the Tides haven't had at least a share of first.

All of a sudden, however, Dempsey isn't so concerned about Columbus as he is the Charlotte Knights, who are four games behind the Tides in the run for the division's two playoff berths.

``It's that third-place team that bothers me,'' Dempsey said. ``The hell with whoever else. We won't go anywhere if we can't win. We'll just go home.''

Norfolk scored in the first when Steve Bieser doubled down the first base line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Gilbert and scored on Roberto Petagine's sacrifice fly to center.

Tom Evans hit his 14th home run of the season in the top of the second for the SkyChiefs' first run.

Syracuse got its second run in the fourth when Jeff Patzke doubled to left with two out and Sandy Martinez followed with a single to right that Bieser bobbled, allowing Patzke to come home.

The SkyChiefs then went up 3-1 in the sixth. Evans singled up the middle and Felipe Crespo followed with a single to center. Rich Aude then grounded into a double play, but Evans came home one batter later when Patzke's sharp grounder was mishandled by third baseman Chris Saunders.

Saunders, however, chased down the ball and his throw appeared to get Patzke at first. Umpire C.B. Bucknor didn't think so and that brought Dempsey out of the dugout to argue.

Starting pitcher Jeff Tam (6-2), who went six innings, absorbed the loss, although two of the three runs he allowed were unearned.

The Tides cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Petagine led off with a single to center, Wes Chamberlain walked and Phil Geisler was hit by a pitch from Syracuse starter Derek Brandow (6-6) to load the bases. After Kevin Morgan flew out to left, Saunders grounded to third, but was able to stay out of the double play as Petagine came home.

Norfolk had a great opportunity in the seventh when Gilbert and Benny Agbayani both reached with one out on a walk and an infield single. But Syracuse manager Garth Iorg turned to lefthander Mark Lukasiewicz, who struck out the lefthanded Petagine on three pitches. Carlos Almanzar pitched the last 2 1/3 innings for the save, his first. He got Chamberlain to pop out to end the seventh. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/The Virginian-Pilot

Tides starting pitcher Jeff Tam watches a ball hit by a Syracuse

batter fly overhead Saturday night at Harbor Park. The Tides dropped

their sixth straight game for the first time in 3 1/2 years, losing

to the SkyChiefs, 3-2. Tam (6-2), went six innings and absorbed the

loss, although two of the three runs he allowed were unearned.

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