THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606160158
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 58 lines
Mike Gardiner rebounded from his only loss of the season and the Norfolk Tides bats came out of a mini-slump Saturday night in a 4-2 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons at Harbor Park.
The Tides, who had totaled just nine hits in back-to-back losses to Columbus and Scranton, rapped out 12 hits Saturday night, including home runs by Andy Tomberlin and Luis Rivera.
Gardiner, the International League's leading pitcher, scattered six hits over six scoreless innings while improving to 7-1 and lowering his earned run average to 1.38.
Gardiner, however, was quick to praise the defense, particularly centerfielder Gary Thurman who started a crowd-pleasing double play in the third inning.
With Scranton's Gary Bennett on first, Rob Butler hit a soft line drive into the gap in right that appeared to be a base hit. But Thurman made a lunging catch and doubled Bennett off at first to end the inning.
``That gave the whole team a boost,'' Gardiner said. ``He came out of nowhere, then made a nice throw to first. If I'd made that catch, not that I would, I'd have been so excited I'd have thrown the ball away.''
The Tides got at least one hit in every inning and bunched together four in the fourth resulting in three runs.
Tomberlin, taking advantage of a calm night, lifted his eighth home run of the season into the Tides' bullpen beyond rightfield to lead off the inning.
``If the wind's blowing in like usual, that ball might not get out,'' Tomberlin said. ``We need to be pulling these kind out. Sometimes home runs like that can spark a rally and it did. We needed to make some noise with our bats after the last two games.''
Rivera then doubled with one out, took third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Howard, who reached when Scranton pitcher Carlos Crawford tried to get Rivera at the plate.
After Howard moved up on a passed ball and Thurman singled to right, Jason Hardtke drove in Howard, also with a single to right, for a 3-0 advantage.
Gardiner came out after six innings, complaining of fatigue on the muggy night after ``not feeling too well all day.''
Joe Ausanio pitched two scoreless innings of relief and the Tides led 4-0 going to the ninth after Rivera homered in the eighth off Scranton reliever Matt Grott.
The Red Barons' Scott Rolen, playing in only his third game at the Triple-A level, hit a two-run home run off Tides reliever Derek Wallace after Ruben Amaro had reached on an error by Rivera to start the ninth. Only one other Red Baron reached second the entire night when Gardiner gave up two singles in the sixth to Butler and Rolen. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON\The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk Tides second baseman Jason Hardtke, left, waits to tag out
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Howard Battle, who was attempting to steal
second base in the second inning Saturday night at Harbor Park. by CNB