THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 23, 1995 TAG: 9508230638
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
They celebrated with champagne Tuesday in the Norfolk Tides' clubhouse, for more than one reason. Yes, The Tides, completing almost a wire-to-wire run, clinched the International League's West Division pennant, their first since 1988, with a 1-0 victory over the Charlotte Knights.
But the special flavor of the triumph, the incredible intrigue of dual one-hitters thrown by the Tides' Paul Wilson and Charlotte's Richie Lewis, both former Florida State stars, was worth a party as well.
Each righthander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Lewis, however, trailed because in the sixth inning he walked the leadoff hitter, Wilson. After a wild pitch and Ricky Otero's groundout to second moved Wilson to third, Jay Payton hit a fly to deep leftfield to score Wilson.
``I knew the infield was in and I didn't want to hit the ball on the ground,'' said Payton, whose RBI double with two outs in the ninth beat Richmond for Wilson, 1-0, on Aug. 11. ``And I knew I had to get it out there pretty good with Paul running.''
Wilson (5-3) lost his no-hitter first when Bob Zupcic lined the first pitch of the eighth into left-center for a double. Before that the no-hitter had been preserved by three outstanding plays: second baseman Kevin Morgan's dive to catch Terry Jorgensen's line drive in the second, shortstop Rey Ordonez's sliding pickup and strong throw from the hole to get Erik Pappas also in the second and third baseman Aaron Ledesma's catch and throw of a Jorgensen grounder that hit Wilson in the leg and bounced high into the air in the fifth.
``I've never thrown a no-hitter,'' said Wilson, 22, the first pick in the 1994 draft, who finished with two walks and seven strikeouts. ``I started thinking about it before (the eighth), and then I throw a belt-high fastball. That's what I get for thinking about it.''
Wilson walked Nick Capra in the ninth and had to get Rod Brewer, batting grounded out to Ordonez.
``I knew he'd be looking for a 2-0 fastball,'' said Wilson, who shook off catcher Charlie Greene's call for just that pitch. ``I knew I had to throw a good pitch. I said there was no way I was coming out of this game. I was going to hold on to that shutout.''
``I really wasn't in sync with him all night, though I started catching on a little better toward the end,'' Greene said. ``It was his game, I just make the suggestions. He's got such a great idea how to pitch. And he can throw any pitch he wants for a strike.''
Greene played a large role with his bat, too, in that he ended Lewis' no-hit bid with a single to start the eighth. Greene, a .193 hitter, lined a hanging breaking ball to left on an 0-1 count but was stranded at third.
``It seemed like he was looking for it, and he got a base hit,'' said Lewis. ``God bless him.''
Lewis, 29, the Montreal Expos' second pick in the 1987 draft who has been up with the Florida Marlins a few times this season, was more irked by his fateful walk to Wilson. Lewis said he thought he'd struck out Wilson on a checked swing with his 2-2 pitch. Steamed over not getting that call from the umpires, Lewis threw low for ball four and the eventual winning run reached base.
``He definitely went around. Especially with the pitcher up, they always call that,'' said Lewis, who walked four and struck out two. ``I got (upset) and instead of concentrating on my next pitch I walked him. It's my fault.''
The lone run was the first the Tides (80-51) have scored off Lewis in 20 innings this season. He also has held them to just six hits. But even had Lewis no-hit them Tuesday, given the same result, Tides manager Toby Harrah said he wouldn't have cared.
``What a great way to win it,'' Harrah said. ``If we'd have been no-hit, I'd be just as happy. If we'd have done that, you'd know it was destiny.''
As it is, the first stage of the Tides' journey - two rounds of playoffs await - finally was covered. The Tides have been in first place since May 3, ahead by double digits since July 1, and Tuesday had every right to be a relative anti-climax.
Wilson and Lewis, to their honor, made it anything but. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
BETH BERGMAN
STAFF
Chris Roberts sprays the bubbly on his Norfolk teammates at Harbor
Park after the Tides clinched the West Division pennant.
NORFOLK 1
CHARLOTTE 6
FABIAN MATZERATH
Paul Wilson offers a high-five to his teammates after scoring the
game's only run in the Tides' 1-0 win over Charlotte.
GAMEWATCH
[For a copy of the chart, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB