THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507270522
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Paul Wilson's first start at Harbor Park nearly two weeks ago was something of a nightmare. The 6-foot-5 Norfolk Tides righthander had a one-hitter and carried a 5-0 lead into the seventh.
He then tired and imploded. Richmond scored six runs in the seventh and won, 6-5, ruining what was otherwise an impressive Triple-A debut for the highly-regarded Florida State graduate.
Given the same chance, Wilson didn't wilt Wednesday. He limited Columbus to five hits and one earned run and struck out seven over seven innings in a 3-2 victory over the Clippers.
The triumph moved Wilson's record to 2-1 and ended a two-game Norfolk losing streak.
It also likely marked the final game in Triple-A for Columbus' Darryl Strawberry. USA Today reports he will go to the New York Yankees today or Friday. Strawberry, who started in leftfield and made a nice catch of a fading line drive from Norfolk's John Orton in the second, was 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI.
Strawberry's final out Wednesday was a big one for Tides' reliever Paul Byrd, who notched his sixth save. Strawberry came to bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth and popped out to shortstop Rey Ordonez to end the game.
``It was a nice job by Paul Wilson against a very good hitting club,'' Tides manager Toby Harrah said of the Clippers, who scored 19 runs in the last two games against Norfolk.
``And how about Byrd? Wow. He did a great job.''
It helped Norfolk that Wilson didn't have to deal with the stifling heat that drained him against Richmond.
``That was probably the worst night of the year,'' pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. ``There was no air, no breeze in the ballpark. He just wilted.
``Tonight he didn't have quite the stuff he had that game. But he had just enough.''
And the Tides managed just enough offense thanks to Jay Payton, Butch Huskey and Omar Garcia.
Huskey, the International League home run leader, poked his 21st of the year into the picnic area in leftfield in the first to score Payton, who had reached base on an error.
Garcia, the IL's second-leading hitter, drove in the winning run in the seventh with a double down the leftfield line that scored Payton, who had singled to reach base.
Payton, Huskey, Trey McCoy and Edwin Alicea each had two hits for Norfolk (66-40), which saw its lead in the IL West Division swell to 12 games over Richmond and Toledo, which comes to Harbor Park Friday for a three-game series.
Wilson might owe his victory to a fine throw by leftfielder Ricky Otero, who came back from the New York Mets to Norfolk Tuesday.
The play began when Jorge Pasada doubled against the wall in the seventh with nobody out, easily scoring Bubba Carpenter to tie the score at two apiece.
Pasada then tried to stretch his double into a triple. But Otero quickly retrieved the ball and fired to Ordonez, who threw to Huskey at third, beating Pasada . ILLUSTRATION: MARK MITCHELL, Staff
Norfolk's Ricky Otero rushes in from leftfield to back up as
Columbus' Andy Fox slides into third base following an error in the
first inning.
by CNB