The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 25

fridayJUKE 29. 1990 THE TENNESSON 5C Barsies9 Sounds top Zepr 4-2 curred with Barnes at the plate. On a 3-1 pitch, Birkbeck hit Barnes In the top of the head. Barnes dropped his bat and headed to the mound as both dugouts emptied. But before Barnes reached Birkbeck, he was pulled away by home plate umpire Wally Bell, who restored order.

Garcia eventually scored on Lee's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Nashville lead. Denver tied the scored at 1-all without a hit in its half of the inning. Frank Mattox walked, stole second, went to third on a throwing error and scored on Joe Redfield's sacrifice fly. LARRY TAFT Swm Writer DENVER, Cola Once again, the Nashville Sounds are knocking on the Buffalo Bisons' door. The Sounds pinned a 4-2 loss on the Denver Zephyrs before an an nounced Mile High Stadium crowd of 2,1 62 last night to move within a half-game of the Bisons, the American Association Eastern Division leaders for over two months.

Terry Lee and Leo Garcia were the big guns last night Lee drove in three runs on a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly while Leo Garcia collected two hits and scored twice. The victory, coupled with Buffalo's 8-3 home loss to Rochester, brought Nashville to within a half game of the Bisons, assured the Sounds of a winning road trip and evened the season series with Denver at 5-5. Nashville has won four of five on the current seven game road trip, which ends tomorrow night Last night's game got off to a hardhitting start, but not all the hits came off of Sounds' bats. Garcia hit a bard grounder off the leg of losing pitcher Mike Birkbeck. The ball ricocheted into left and a hustling Garcia took second for a double.

Garcia went to third on a passed ball as Birkbeck pitched to Skeeter Barnes, but that was far from the most noteworthy play which oc Barnes found a way to get even with Birkbeck in the fourth as he scored the go-ahead run. He began toe inning with a line drive that knocked the glove from Birkbeck's hand. Then when Lee singled to left, Barnes raced on to third, where no one was covering the bag. When out fielder Mickey Brantley lazily lobbed the ball back to second, Barnes head ed home and scored Nashville's second run without even being Barnes' hustling play caught the at tention of Nashville Manager Pete Mackanin. "Those are the kinds of plays that make teams good, that bother other teams, that are needed to win," Mackanin said.

The tat way to celeoratte 0 special imomeik V- -Birthdays jil Jfet xvmmw VwSSs? imt Upcoming at home July 1- vs. Rochester, 7:35 July 2: vs. Rochester. 7:35 July 3: vs. Rochester, 7:35 July 12-13: vs.

Buffalo July 20-22: vs. Indianapolis July 23-24: vs. Scranton Tonight's game As the Sounds head into the second of a three-game series at Denver tonight, right-hander Rob Lopez, 5-6, is slated to hurl for Nashville against Zephyr right-hander Jim Hunter, 2-3. American Association Eastern Division Pet. GB Buffalo (Pirates) 44 34 .564 Nashville (Reds) 44 35 .557 V4 Louisville (Cards) 43 38 .531 Indpolis (Expos) 36 41 .468 7'a Western Division Omaha (Royals) 45 32 .584 Iowa (Cubs) 37 40 .481 8 Denver (Brewers) 36 43 .456 10 Okla.

CitV (Ranors) 31 50 .383 16 International Leant Eastern Division Pet. OB Rochester (Orioles) 43 31 .581 Scrantn-WB (Phils) 38 41 .481 7V Pawtucket (Red Sx) 31 44 .413 12' Syracuse (Blue Jvs) 30 44 .405 13 lit lit i i. j-i wnwn uivnni Columbus (Yankes) 49 32 .605 -Tidewaler (Mets) 40 37 319 7 Richmond (Braves) 42 40 .512 7' Toledo (Tigers) 36 43 .456 12 Thursday's Games Iowa 7. Indianapolis 5 Louisville 7, Richmond 4 Nashville 4, Denver 2 Omaha 9, Pawtucket 6, (11) Rochester 8, Buffalo 3 Oklahoma City 5. Syracuse 2 Tidewater 3, Columbus 1 Scranton WB 4, Toledo 2 Friday's Games Indianapolis at Iowa Louisville at Richmond Nashville at Denver Omaha at Pawtucket Rochester at Buffalo Syracuse at Oklahoma City Columbus at Tidewaler Toledo at Scranton WB Saturday's Gaines Indianapolis at Iowa Louisville at Richmond Nashville al Denver Omaha at Pawtucket Rochester al Buffalo Syracuse al Oklahoma City Columbus at Tidewater Toledo al Scranton WB Sounds 4, Zephyrs 2 NASHVILLE DENVER New experiences, but Lazor shines While Nashville was in Denver in late April for a three-game series with the Zephyrs, the current trip to the Mile High City is the first for a couple of the Sounds.

Included in that number is pitcher Joe Lazor, the left-handed relief pitcher promoted from Class AA Chattanooga on June 12. While the Mile High Stadium is impressive, Lazor says he has been noticed a large number of differences in the game on the Class AAA level. "There are so many things that are different" said Lazor, a 25-year-old Ohio native who is playing on the AAA level for the first time in his five-year career. "The first thing you notice is that you fly instead of riding a bus everywhere you go. But there are other things, too.

You see a lot more experienced, older players who are capable of hitting your mistakes. In Double-A, there are probably four or five while here there are six or seven." Lazor, who has a 2J84 earned run average in four appearances with 6 y3 innings pitched, said he has noticed that mistakes are more costly in Class AAA. "The mistakes a pitcher makes here wind up being home runs here more than in the Southern League. You groove a fastball here, and it is hit out a lot of times. In Double-A, you get foul tips sometimes, but here that doesn't happen as often." Lazor has had to adjust to a new role with the Sounds, his second change since last seasoa Prior to this year, the Mount Vernon (Ohio) Na-zarene graduate had been a starting pitcher, but after a month in instructional league last October, he was converted to relief.

LARRY TAFT Bales 2b Garcia dh Barnes rl wrna aornoi 4 011 Maltox lb 2 10 0 4 2 2 0 Redtield ss 3 0 0 1 3 110 Canale lb 3 0 0 0 3 0 2 3 Moorerl 3 00 0 Lee lb Lockhart 40 10 H.wimdH 4 0 2 0 McGriff 4 010 Brantley If 4 110 Jones If 3 0 0 0 JMIKM4 9 gig 4 0 0 0 Mcintosh 4 0 1 1 3100 Wonder cf 3 0 10 Bnavidesss Nelson cf waiters pn ooo 32 4 I 4 Total 30 2 1 100 111 000 -4 too WO 100-2 McGrHt. DP Nashville 1, Denver 0. LOB-ttashv 5, Denver 8. 2B-Garda. 38-Bates, Garcia.

SB-Mtttot (6), Lockhart W. Lat, Kwnew. IP SERBS SO MulwBa 5 2 2 5 2 10 0 11 i CMitchaU2 Vh BirkbtcUO-S 7 4 4 2 4 Capet 3l3 1 0 0 0 3 PB-Mclnlosh. HBP Barnes by Birkbeck. T-23.

Legal problems may burn Tennessee recruit Carter would be allowed to play at Tennes see. "Ibis is a situation not under our control or auspices," Majors said. "In many, many cases there are two sides to an issue, until I find out more about the situation, we'll not take any with A Day to Remember a new feature written by readers for readers. For as little as $10, you can tell everyone about your special day or event in The Sunday Tennessean. Birthdays.

Promotions. Anniversaries. Happenings at church or school. There are a total of nine categories from which to choose. And you can even include a photo, if you like.

Send all your best wishes with A Day to Remember. Special keepsake pages are available. Deadline is 5 pjn. Wednesdays. 3 action." Majors did not draw a correlation between Carter's situation and a case involving Derric Evans, a heralded defensive back signee in 1989.

Evans, DAVTD CLIMER Sports Writer Tennessee's quick fix for its leaky defensive backfield is imperiled due to the uncertain status of junior college signee Dale Carter, who faces a July 1 2 hearing on assault charges. Carter, a star cornerback at Ellsworth Junior College, and a former teammate were charged with attacking two non-students at the school cafeteria April 28, said officials at the school in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Carter, 22, was refused admission to summer school classes at Ellsworth because of what Dean of Students Dwight Carlson called "an accumulation of incidents." Carter, several hours shy of completing his junior college degree, is enrolled at Independence Junior College in Kansas. UT Coach Johnny Majors, in Nashville yesterday for a speech to a coaches convention, said he would await the outcome of the hearing and examine further reports on the matter before deciding whether Carter from Dallas, was arrested on armed robbery charges last June and Majors announced he would not be allowed A Day to Eemem' to play football for UT. Evans later was convicted and is Imprisoned in Texas.

The tMoot-2, 185-pound Carter, originally from Oxford, Gil, Is viewed as a potential starter at romerbacK for the Vols this falL He intercepted 17 passes in his two-year career at Ellsworth. Carter was one of nine Vols junior college signees. 0.