Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 8, 1993 TAG: 9308080141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Bucs tried to steal twice Saturday night at Municipal Field. They got caught both times and their sentence was a 5-3 loss to the Durham Bulls in Carolina League baseball.
Salem ran itself out of a potential scoring threat in the second inning when first baseman Don Garvey was nabbed trying to steal second, then the Bucs saw a possible big inning stymied in the sixth when shortstop Kevin Polcovich was cut down by Durham catcher Steve Swail.
Salem manager Scott Little, who was ejected by Jerry Lloyd in the fifth for questioning the plate umpire's strike zone, was none too pleased with his club's performance on the base paths. Polcovich's ill-advised theft attempt came with Salem trailing 3-1 and the heart of the order coming up. So instead of scoring a run on Jon Farrell's double, the Bucs got nothing. Farrell eventually scored on Joe Ronca's single. Another single by Ramon Espinosa was wasted when Angelo Encarnacion grounded to second. Instead of getting at least two runs in the inning, the Bucs settled for one on four hits.
"Base running killed us," Little said. "We had 35 home runs [Farrell and Neff] behind [Polcovich], so I'd think you might want to hit in that situation in a two-run game. You just can't waste an out in that situation."
Trailing 5-2 after Durham's Juan Williams hit a two-run homer off Bucs reliever Mark Mesewicz in the eighth, Salem had one more shot in the ninth.
Garvey's two-out double brought home Espinosa, who had led off with a single, to make it 5-3. Jeff Conger walked, putting the potential tying runs on base for pinch-hitter Mike Brown. But the left-handed slugger didn't produce this time, grounding weakly to second to end the game.
Salem starter Doug Harrah (5-4) was tagged with his fourth consecutive loss. Harrah gave up three runs - two earned - in six innings.
In the fifth, after Harrah came off the mound and let Lloyd know what he thought of his work, Little intervened in the discussion and eventually got the heave-ho.
"[Lloyd] says they're balls; I say they're strikes," Little said. "He's the guy back there calling them. I felt something should be said. I have to stand up for my players.
"There were three or four right down the middle and he called them balls. The guy is usually a good umpire, but he had a poor strike zone tonight, in my opinion."
\ BUCSHOTS: The victory enabled Durham (18-26) to pull back into a third-place tie with Salem (18-26) in the Southern Division. . . . Brown, who spent most of the night in the coaching boxes with left-hander Darrell May starting for Durham, has only six hits in his last 28 at-bats. . . . Espinosa was 1-for-13 before going 2-for-4 on Saturday. . . . Braves third baseman Dom Therrien, who was 2-for-4 with two RBI in Friday's series opener, had three hits and another RBI on Saturday. . . . The first 1,000 fans through the gate tonight will receive a free set of Bucs baseball cards.
by CNB