DATE: Monday, April 14, 1997                TAG: 9704140163

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: C2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   68 lines

TIDES SEE RED IN DOUBLEHEADER LOSS THEIR NEW CRIMSON JERSEYS DIDN'T HELP, BUT THEN NEITHER DID THEIR 6 ERRORS.

Maybe red isn't the best color for the Norfolk Tides.

Sporting brilliant crimson jerseys for the first time ever, the Tides were swept in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader by the Toledo Mud Hens, who won 8-6 in the first game at Harbor Park, then went 10 innings to top Norfolk 5-2 in the second game.

The Tides committed six errors on the day, four in the first game.

``Our defense was terrible,'' said Tides manager Rick Dempsey. ``Everybody was not making the plays they should have made. We battled offensively, but our base-running wasn't good. And it's hard for me to accept games like that.''

Asked about the red jerseys, Dempsey shook his head and said, ``We won't be wearing it next Sunday, I guarantee.''

Whether it was the jerseys or not, the Tides bungled plays from the very beginning. Roberto Petagine let a slow bouncer by Tim Hyers get under his glove in the second inning of the opener, allowing Kimera Bartee to score from first. Hyers eventually scored on Frank Catalanotto's double to right.

From then on, the Tides were in a hole. Three of the Mud Hens' eight runs were unearned as Tides starter Cory Lidle lost for the first time in three decisions.

The miscues overshadowed two long home runs by the Tides' Phil Geisler and Benny Agbayani, as well as the debut of Takashi Kashiwada, the New York Mets' recent acquisition from the Yomiuri Giants.

Geisler, who had missed the first week of the season with a groin injury, hit a three-run shot in the fourth that landed just left of the hitters' screen behind centerfield on its way to the next concert at the Boathouse. It was estimated to be a 415-foot shot, but only cut Toledo's lead to 7-5.

Agbayani then hit his second solo shot in two games. The towering blast in the sixth inning just missed the scoreboard, clearing the picnic area some 400 feet from home plate.

Kashiwada came on to pitch the seventh inning of the seven-inning game and gave up two hits and a run.

Kashiwada, who arrived late Friday after 17 hours of flights and airports from Japan, said he was only at about 20 percent and that jet lag had tired him.

``Even though I don't want to wake up, I keep waking up at 5 a.m.,'' he said through an interpreter. ``I need two or three days of sweating and throwing to get back in shape.''

The second game went sour for the Tides in the 10th inning with Hyers at first after a walk and Scott Makarewicz squared to bunt. Makarewicz's bunted in the air on the first base side and Petagine dived, but could only get a piece of his glove on it. Relief pitcher Jeff Tam then fielded the ball and threw wide of second base with the runners advancing to second and third.

Kimera Bartee lifted a sacrifice fly to center and another out later Catalanotto walked and Steve Rodriguez doubled down the line in right to score two more runs. All three runs in the inning were unearned.

``I kind of liked the red jerseys,'' said Tides second baseman Jason Hardtke. ``They didn't bring us good luck, but they're also not the reason we played poorly. (The team) bought 'em, so we'll probably wear them again.''

Moves: The Tides on Sunday released Alex Diaz who was 2 for 26 for an .077 average. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ASSOCIATED PRESS

A three-run home run by Tides outfielder Phil Geisler, right, in the

first game earns him a high-five from Benny Agbayani on their way to

the dugout.

Takashi Kashiwada of Japan makes his debut for the Tides in the

seventh inning of the first game.

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