DATE: Monday, September 1, 1997             TAG: 9709010204
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   59 lines

TIDES' PLAYOFF CHASE GOES DOWN TO FINAL DAY

If the outcome of a season can be saved by one play, it may have happened in the eighth inning Sunday night at Harbor Park.

With the Norfolk Tides trying to hold on to a 4-3 lead, as well as any chance of making the International League playoffs, catcher Alberto Castillo threw a perfect strike to second base to nail Ottawa base-runner DaRond Stovall on a steal attempt.

It kept Stovall out of scoring position, ended the inning and meant Ottawa's No. 7 through 9 hitters were due up in the ninth.

Thanks to a game-ending double play the next inning, the top of Ottawa's lineup never made it to the plate as the Tides hung on for the victory, their third straight.

Norfolk (75-66) was hoping for some help in the playoff race from the Richmond Braves, particularly after Richmond jumped to a 4-1 lead over Charlotte. But Charlotte (75-65) came back for a 10-5 win and holds a half-game lead over the Tides for the IL's last playoff. The half-game difference is due to Charlotte losing a rain date.

The Tides must win today in their regular-season finale against Ottawa at Harbor Park, and Charlotte must lose in its final game against Richmond, for Norfolk to make the playoffs.

``At least we won and we've still got a chance,'' Tides manager Rick Dempsey said.

Castillo said he was betting on Stovall leaning and had signaled for an inside pitch from reliever Brian Edmondson to lefthanded batter Joe Siddall. That way, Castillo could throw to first on a pickoff attempt more easily.

``The guy got a good jump, and the fact we were going inside made it tougher,'' Castillo said.

``If the throw's not right there, he's safe,'' said Tides shortstop Shawn Gilbert, who applied the tag.

The Tides rapped three singles to start Sunday's game, including Benny Agbayani's RBI single to right on a hit-and-run. Then Roberto Petagine lifted a deep fly to right for his 100th RBI of the season and a 2-0 lead.

Petagine is only the fourth Tide to reach the 100-RBI plateau joining Clint Hurdle (105 in '83), Randy Milligan (103 in '87) and LeRoy Stanton (100 in '71).

Norfolk rallied again in the fourth on a single by Petagine, a triple to the gap in left by Tate Seefried and a double down the rightfield line by Steve Bieser for a 4-0 lead.

Ottawa got on board in the fifth, loading the bases on a walk and two singles. Orlando Cabrera then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center.

The Lynx then cut the advantage to 4-3 on a two-out, two-run double to the gap in right by Siddall in the sixth. Otherwise, Shannon Withem (9-10) pitched seven solid innings for his fifth victory of the month.

NOTES: Norfolk all but locked up the IL's per-game attendance title. The announced crowd of 9,278 put the Tides on the cusp of surpassing the 500,000 mark for the fifth consecutive year and upped their average per game to 7,712. aneurysm in his pitching shoulder, joined the Tides Sunday, up from Class A St. Lucie. ... To nobody's surprise, Petagine, the IL MVP, was the Tides' MVP as well. Gilbert was named the Tides' most inspirational player for the second straight season while Jim Dougherty was selected most valuable pitcher.

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