DATE: Thursday, August 28, 1997             TAG: 9708280702

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   45 lines

TIDES DROPS INTO TIE WITH CHARLOTTE FOR SECOND PLACE

The Norfolk Tides both insulted and injured themselves Wednesday night in a 5-4 loss to the Richmond Braves at The Diamond.

The loss dropped Norfolk into a tie with Charlotte for the International League West Division's second playoff spot. The Tides (72-65) committed as many errors as they scored runs and lost power-hitting infielder Scott McClain to a turned ankle.

McClain, who doubled in the second inning, turned his left ankle while applying the brakes around third base on an ensuing play. He is listed as day-to-day, but figures there is no way he'll be in tonight's lineup.

``I think it's just going to be too sore to go,'' said McClain, who is second in the team in home runs with 21.

His 22nd homer of the season would have been a welcome late-game sight for the Tides, who have now lost five of six to the Braves.

Norfolk's sloppy play was most costly in the fourth inning.

Tied 2-all through three innings, the Braves' Raul Rodarte scored from second on a Chris Brock fly ball to center when shortstop Kevin Morgan, McClain's replacement at shortstop, booted Phil Geisler's relay throw.

The Braves got another run in the inning, and a 4-2 lead, when third baseman Tate Seefried overthrew first base for his second error of the game.

Richmond gave back the two runs in Norfolk's half of the fifth, when Pablo Martinez let a sharp grounder by Shawn Gilbert scoot under his glove with two out and Benny Agbayani and Roberto Petagine followed with run-scoring doubles.

The Braves got the game-winner in the seventh when pinch-hitter Tommy Gregg's grounder to the right side with one out plated T.R. Lewis, who had drawn a leadoff walk from reliever Brian Edmondson and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Robert Smith. Relief pitcher Ricardo Jordan walked pinch-hitter Brad Tyler and gave up a single to Tim Spehr to load the bases and bring Gregg to the plate.

Norfolk's errors weren't limited to fielding. With Geisler on third and Seefried at first with no outs in the sixth, Alberto Castillo swung through a 2-1 pitch with both runners breaking. Brock then cut Spehr's throw to second and threw home to get Geisler. The Tides eventually came out of the inning with nothing.

``That was supposed to be a squeeze play,'' said Tides manager Rick Dempsey as he rolled his eyes. ``We have a little trouble with our signs from time to time.''

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