DATE: Wednesday, May 14, 1997               TAG: 9705140711

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   49 lines

TIDES FALL AT RICHMOND ON HOME RUN IN 9TH INNING

T.R. Lewis put his presidential stamp on a three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday, lifting the Richmond Braves over the Norfolk Tides 5-3 at The Diamond.

So what does the T.R. stand for? Theodore Roosevelt, naturally.

``Not only is it Theodore Roosevelt, but I'm the third one,'' said Lewis. ``I probably need to ask my dad where it came from.''

Lewis' shot off Tides closer Mike Welch came on a 1-2 pitch after Lewis had fouled off a two-strike fastball.

``By then I was just locked into putting the ball in play and staying out of a double play,'' Lewis said. ``He got a slider up a little bit.''

The outcome played against almost every percentage.

It was the Braves' first victory of the season when trailing after eight innings. And it was Welch's first loss in 14 appearances.

``I've got to make a decent pitch in that situation and I didn't,'' Welch said.

``I'll take Mike in the ninth in any time and any situation,'' Tides catcher Charlie Greene said. ``You can't save every game and be perfect every time.''

Pinch-hitter Brad Tyler started the Braves' ninth with a chop single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch. After Pablo Martinez moved Tyler to second with a sacrifice bunt, Welch walked Robert Smith to bring up Lewis.

``Hanging sliders usually go a long way,'' said Tom Lawless, subbing for suspended Tides manager Rick Dempsey. ``When you put yourself in position to win, he's the man you usually go to.''

The Tides had scored in the second on Roberto Petagine's leadoff double to left and consecutive groundouts by Scott McClain and Phil Geisler.

Norfolk (21-17) got two more runs in the fifth. Geisler doubled to right, Greene doubled him home to the gap in right, starting pitcher Joe Crawford singled to left to move Greene up and Luis Lopez followed with a run-scoring single to center.

Richmond carved out a run in the second on a double by Tommy Gregg and a scoring single by Marty Malloy. The Braves scored again in the seventh when Dave Toth reached on a check-swing single, pinch-hitter Ed Giovanola walked and Lewis singled to center off reliever Jimmy Myers.

Norfolk blew a golden opportunity to add to its lead in the seventh. Jason Hardtke was picked off second. And Greene, who reached when he was hit by a pitch, was thrown out rounding second after being fooled when shortstop Smith faked a throw to first on Lopez's infield hit.

``Charlie should have just kept running for third,'' Lawless said. ``Nobody was covering.''

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