DATE: Wednesday, August 20, 1997            TAG: 9708200620

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY AARON PORTZLINE, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: COLUMBUS, OHIO                    LENGTH:   62 lines

LOSS TO CLIPPERS LEAVES TIDES IN TIE NORFOLK NOW SHARES TOP SPOT IN THE IL WEST WITH COLUMBUS

Rick Dempsey has tried almost everything to exorcise the demons that have troubled the Norfolk Tides this month: Increased batting practice, no batting practice, lineup changes, postgame pep talks, pregame pep talks.

Nothing has worked.

The August from hell continues for Norfolk, whose lead in the International League West Division has disintegrated.

The Columbus Clippers didn't exactly put on a dazzling display of offense, but it was enough to hold off the reeling Tides 2-1 Tuesday before 6,315 at Cooper Stadium.

Columbus and Norfolk are now tied atop the IL West with 71-59 records. Of concern now, suddenly, is Charlotte, which is three games behind Columbus and Norfolk in third place.

It's safe to say that frustration has set in with the Tides, who managed just three hits and struck out 14 times against three Columbus pitchers Tuesday.

``This is just baffling to me,'' Dempsey said. ``Our concentration is real bad, and it's just getting worse.

``We're taking good pitches and swinging at bad pitches. We've seen some good pitching, but we've made it look like awesome pitching. I don't know what else to do.''

Dempsey said he won't resort to drastic measures to shake up the team, which is batting just .210 and averaging 3.2 runs per game in August.

``I'm not gonna do that crap,'' Dempsey said.

At this point, however, it might not be a bad idea. Norfolk's only run scored on a soaring home run by Scott McClain in the eighth inning, his 21st of the season. Of course, it came with the bases empty.

``That's the way it's going right now,'' McClain said. ``We finally get a big hit and there's nobody on base. When we get people on base, we can't seem to get the big hit.

``We've got a bunch of people that are trying too hard. And this is the worst time to do it, because this series is huge.''

Game 3 of the series, the final meeting between Columbus and Norfolk, is tonight at 7:15. The Tides have lost five straight at Cooper Stadium.

Columbus went ahead 1-0 in the second inning when Shane Spencer hit a leadoff homer to center, his team-high 26th of the season.

The Clippers made it 2-0 in the seventh when Mike Lowell drew a two-out walk and scored when the next batter, Matt Luke, doubled into the left-centerfield gap. Luke was out at third when he tried to stretch the hit into a triple, but the umpires ruled that Lowell scored before Luke was tagged out.

That was enough support for Columbus starter Mike Jerzembeck (6-4), who lasted 7 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run. He fanned a season-high 10.

Dale Polley got the final out of the eighth, and Jim Mecir struck out the side in the ninth to gain his eighth save.

Norfolk starter Barry Manuel (1-4) was sparkling, too. In seven innings, he allowed four hits, two earned runs and three walks while striking out six.

``We're wasting some pretty good pitching, and that just adds to the frustration,'' Dempsey said. ``This team is down, but we need to fight back. They've got to come out, relax and just play ball. There's plenty of talent on this team, it's just not showing right now. It better start showing pretty quick or we're in trouble.''

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