THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 27, 1994 TAG: 9407270559
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
For three innings on a rainy Tuesday night at Harbor Park, Sean Bergman was throwing free and easy and hard for the Toledo Mud Hens. The Norfolk Tides couldn't touch him. Nine up, nine down, four by strikeouts.
But because Bergman already knew he'd be on his way to the Detroit Tigers today, three innings were predetermined to be the extent of his night's work.
Considering their offensive futility, the Tides couldn't have been more pleased. They celebrated Bergman's departure by pouncing on his replacement, Kurt Knudsen, and, with the help of two Toledo errors, scored three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth.
The outbursts were more than enough for Eric Hillman, who owns the Mud Hens, to coast to a 10-3 victory, bump his record to 5-1 and continue his streak of complete games and dominance over Toledo.
Hillman's eight-hitter through a steady rain was the third consecutive start that he's worked nine innings, and was his fourth complete game of the season. By contrast, the 6-foot-10 lefthander entered the year with only eight complete games in 110 minor-league starts.
And against Toledo, Hillman is now 3-0 with a 1.57 earned-run average.
``If it was a nice night, I probably would've been taken out in the seventh or eighth,'' Hillman said. ``I know when I (pitched) in the bullpen, when it's rainy like that it's just dismal, the field's a mess, I don't want to pitch. It changes your mental approach toward the game. So I wanted to finish the game, because I don't think the bullpen would have had their best state of mind going out there.''
Delayed nearly an hour and a half by a thunder storm, the scoreless game turned for the Tides (51-53) immediately after Bergman left. Knudsen, who entered with a 2.65 ERA, walked Quilvio Veras to start the fourth. Veras stole second, his 24th stolen base, and Doug Dascenzo got the Tides' first hit on an infield chopper.
After Aaron Ledesma hit into a double play as Veras scored, the Mud Hens (45-57) collapsed. Knudsen walked Shawn Hare, Joe Kmak got the first of his three hits, Knudsen hit Rick Parker and second baseman Jim Givens dropped Omar Garcia's pop-up into shallow rightfield for a two-run error.
In the four-run fifth, light-hitting Patrick Howell started the rally by hitting the rightfield fence on one hop for a triple. Kmak ended it with a two-run double for a 7-1 lead, and Hillman took it from there.
``I want to show, especially after getting sent down from New York, that I'm not a five-and-dive kind of guy or get into the seventh and hand it over,'' said Hillman, 0-3 with 7.79 ERA this season for the Mets. ``I want to show that I'm a complete starting pitcher.
``I'm 100 percent sure that my time with the Mets is done, so right now I'm pitching for other teams. Prominently the Tides, but I'm pitching for other teams to try to showcase myself.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
IAN MARTIN/Staff
Eric Hillman is 3-0 with a 1.57 earned run average against Toledo
this season.
by CNB