THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 2, 1996 TAG: 9605020604
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY AARON PORTLINE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: COLUMBUS, OHIO LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Unfortunately for the Norfolk Tides, Robert Person saw only limited duty Wednesday night.
Person, making his first start this season for Norfolk, pitched masterfully for four innings - he was limited to 70 pitches - giving up one hit and retiring 12 of the final 14 batters he faced.
When Person exited, however, the Tides collapsed, allowing the Columbus Clippers to take a 3-2 victory at Cooper Stadium.
Person, who threw 68 pitches, recently was sent down by the Mets after starting the season in the New York Mets' bullpen. The Tides hope to gradually build his arm strength.
``I really like how he threw the ball,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``If he had any endurance, we could have stuck with him longer. He was on top of his game for the time he was out there.''
After a shaky start - a home run by leadoff batter Bubba Carpenter - Person settled down and left the game with a 2-1 lead.
The Tides, meanwhile, reached Columbus starter Brian Boehringer (3-2) for two runs in the fourth.
Shawn Gilbert hit a one-out single to center and, an out later, Alex Ochoa drew a walk. Roberto Petagine's single to center brought in Gilbert and sent Ochoa to third. The next batter, Kevin Flora grounded an RBI single up the middle to score Ochoa and give Norfolk a 2-1 lead.
Person retired Columbus 1-2-3 in the fourth, then gave way to Pat Ahearne (1-2) in the fifth.
That's when the trouble started.
With one out, Columbus shortstop Robert Eenhorn singled to left and took second when Flora bobbled the ball. Ahearne's next pitch was doubled to left by Matt Howard, bringing in Eenhorn to tie the game. Ahearne then walked Carpenter and balked, moving Howard to third and Carpenter to second.
The next Columbus batter, Mario Diaz, chopped a grounder to third, which Norfolk's Matt Franco fielded and threw high to first baseman Petagine, allowing Howard to score and spelling the end for Ahearne.
Pedro Martinez relieved and got the final two outs of the inning, but the lead was lost for good.
Norfolk threatened in the eighth inning, when Kevin Morgan singled and Trey McCoy walked with one out. But Gilbert struck out and Franco popped out to third.
The Tides' last chance came in the ninth, when Ochoa hit a leadoff double to center and took third on Petagine's groundout to second. But Columbus reliever Dave Pavlas fanned Flora and got pinch-hitter Luis Rivera on a grounder to first to end the game.
Note: Andy Tomberlin, who was acquired by the Mets on Saturday, was inserted as the Tides' designated hitter in the leadoff spot Wednesday. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. by CNB