DATE: Tuesday, August 5, 1997               TAG: 9708050257

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   61 lines

TUCKERED TIDES CAN'T PULL ONE OUT AGAINST MUD HENS

Tired and bruised, the Norfolk Tides tried to steal a win against the Toledo Mud Hens Monday night at Harbor Park.

But the Tides, who had arrived in Norfolk from Charlotte by bus at 5 a.m. following three consecutive doubleheaders, couldn't pull it off as the Mud Hens scored twice in the eighth against previously unbeaten reliever Jim Dougherty for a 6-4 Toledo victory.

The Tides' lead in the International League West Division is now 1 1/2 games over Columbus, a 4-2 winner over Richmond Monday.

It was almost shocking that Norfolk (66-50) had a chance. The Mud Hens finished with 13 hits to the Tides' five.

``We get it back tied, but the least likely guy gets into trouble,'' Tides manager Rick Dempsey said. ``And that changed the complexity of the game.''

Toledo broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth when Tim Hyers flared a single to left with one out and Jimmy Hurst followed with a grounder into the hole at short. Hurst was credited with an infield hit, but when shortstop Shawn Gilbert threw wide of second and into rightfield, both runners moved up.

Scott Makarewicz was then intentionally walked to load the bases, then Ray Holbert drew a run-scoring walk after being behind in the count 2-2. Marcuse Jensen singled to right for the final run.

Dougherty fell to 9-1.

Norfolk played without both Benny Agbayani and Roberto Petagine in the lineup, the first time this season that at least one half of that duo wasn't playing. Dempsey decided both needed a day off, Agbayani to rest up and Petagine to rest a sore wrist.

Dempsey also decided before this one even began that he'd have to get as much as he could out of starting pitcher Jeff Tam, even though he was pitching on just three days rest.

``I was stuck,'' Dempsey said. ``I've got to get the bullpen some rest.''

Tam lasted seven innings, even though he was shaky early as Toledo touched him for six hits in the first two innings and scored three second-inning runs.

Trailing 4-0, Norfolk cut the lead in half in the fifth when Tate Seefried reached on an fielding error by second baseman Frank Catalanotto, Scott McClain walked, both runners advanced on a groundout to first by Phil Geisler and Wes Chamberlain delivered a one-out single up the middle to plate both runners.

Norfolk put together a two-out rally in the seventh that chased Toledo starter Tim Pugh and eventually tied matters. Geisler doubled. Reliever Fernando Hernandez then walked Chamberlain, gave up a run-scoring single to Michael Moore and walked Alberto Castillo to load the bases. Eventual winner Rick Greene came on in relief and walked Steve Beiser to force in a run before striking out Kevin Morgan to end the threat.

``Even the sleep you get on the bus is not restful and you know you're going to be tired after the weekend we just had,'' Gilbert said. ``But if you've only got 90 percent to give, then you have to give all 90 percent. You may be physically limited, but that's when you've got to be mentally tough. We weren't as mentally tough as we could have been.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

The Norfolk Tides' Shawn Gilbert, bottom, gets tagged out at second

base by Toledo's Ray Holbert in the first inning Monday at Harbor

Park.

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