DATE: Wednesday, April 23, 1997             TAG: 9704230672

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LARRY BUMP, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: ROCHESTER, N.Y.                   LENGTH:   51 lines

TIDES RUN, CAN'T HIDE IN ROCHESTER

With runs a rarity, Norfolk Tides manager Rick Dempsey turned to the running game. And lost.

Down 2-0 to the Rochester Red Wings with two runners on base and nobody out, Dempsey decided to have pinch runner Angel Jaime try to steal second with Scott McClain facing a two-strike pitch.

McClain swung and missed. Out number one.

Rochester catcher Tim Laker came up throwing, and gunned down Jaime. Out number two.

Then Phil Geisler hit a fly ball to the warning track near the 390-foot sign in left-center field. Scott Bullett gathered it in. Out number three. Game to Rochester, 2-0.

Earlier in the ninth inning, the running game had worked in the Tides' favor. Benny Agbayani led off with a single against Esteban Yan, the Red Wings' third pitcher. With a 3-2 count on Roberto Petagine, Agbayani took off for second base, and Petagine drilled a perfect hit-and-run single through the vacated hole, sending the Norfolk left fielder to third.

Brian Williams, becoming Rochester's ace closer, then came in to face former Red Wing McClain. Williams got two quick strikes, then a third as Jaime took off for second base.

``Laker had to make an absolutely perfect throw, and he did. It was an unsuspecting count to run on,'' Dempsey said. ``We were hoping he was going to waste a pitch.''

Laker saw the pivotal play differently.

``I thought they might go,'' the catcher said. ``I was on my toes, ready for him. I got a high fastball, which was ideal.''

The Red Wings got strong pitching from two righthanders making their Rochester debuts.

Steve Schrenk allowed four hits in four innings, but was vulnerable early on. After Luis Lopez led off the game with a single, Schrenk threw the Tides shortstop out trying to steal second prematurely. With two out, Agbayani singled and stole second, but the starting pitcher retired cleanup hitter Petagine.

McClain led off the second inning with a double, but never advanced. The lefthanded-hitting Geisler grounded out to short, Shawn Gilbert struck out and Charlie Greene lined out.

``We didn't lose the game there in the ninth inning,'' Dempsey insisted. ``They had an outstanding effort. We didn't get a runner over or get him in. There could have been a runner on third with one out. That might have changed the game.''

Norfolk (12-7) dropped into third place, but in a virtual three-way tie with Charlotte (10-5) and Columbus (11-6) in the International League West Division.

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