THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 1, 1995 TAG: 9509010639
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOE ROSSI, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: PAWTUCKET, R.I LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
It may be starting to sound like a broken record, but the Norfolk Tides don't mind the sound at all.
The Tides completed a four-game sweep of the Pawtucket Red Sox Thursday night with a hard-fought 5-4 win.
``It was a good ballgame,'' said Tides manager Toby Harrah. ``You kind of like to see close ballgames. You like to win close ballgames. We feel very lucky to come in here and win four ballgames against a real good Pawtucket team.''
The victory gives the Tides 85 wins on the season, leaving Norfolk two wins shy of setting a franchise record for wins in a season.
Norfolk outfielder Jay Payton paced the Tides' 10-hit attack with two hits, including a home run in the fourth inning that gave the Tides a 2-1 edge. The game-winning runs came in the sixth inning when Alex Ochoa smacked a two-run, tape-measure blast that gave the Tides a 5-1 lead.
``I was looking for a good pitch to hit,'' said Ochoa. ``It was a little up, and I got the bat up quick.''
Norfolk reliever Brian Rogers came on in the eighth inning with Norfolk leading, 5-4. He got the final out in the inning, then pitched a spotless ninth to capture his 10th save of the season.
Norfolk's winning pitcher was Robert Person, who went 5 2/3 innings in relief of Paul Wilson, who was only allowed to go two innings in preparation for the West playoffs starting Monday at Richmond.
GARCIA MIGHT RETURN: First baseman Omar Garcia, banished to Double-A on Wednesday for repeated failure to hustle, could return to the Tides for the playoffs, Mets minor league director Steve Phillips said Thursday.
Tides manager Toby Harrah had said that Garcia, a .309 hitter, would not come back. But Phillips said ``we're not completely ruling that out. We'll see how things go the next few days. We may consider it although I know Toby said he didn't think he'd be back.''
Garcia, reached at his hotel room in Binghamton, N.Y., on Thursday, declined to comment. by CNB