The Evening Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • 63

Press Row F2 High schools F3 Scoreboard F4 Baseball F9 NBA roundup F10 irvo THE EVENING SUN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1990 F1 A rotation Oriole csllard may plummet from game, but we're on a big-league level here. It's very, very tough." Ballard said, "It hasn't been a factor. I don't see why it would be a factor now." But last night was the second time this season he has allowed three home runs. His statistics arp tiirninp utflv. resentative in the baseball labor negotiations.

He has no regrets, but it turns out the lockout affected him perhaps more than any other Oriole. There's no sense dwelling on that now: Robinson's immediate concern is helping Ballard regain his 1989 form. The beleaguered manager was again at a loss for answers last night. One possibility is giving Ballard extra time between starts he has been unable to follow his normal work routine pitching on four or five days rest. Robinson, however, did not rule out dropping Ballard from the rotation.

bow up to make the pitches he has to make. That's the cause of him not being as effective as he can be." Jackson said the question facing the Orioles is, "Do you weather the storm?" The problem with dropping Ballard from the rotation, of course, is that the club lacks adequate replacements. Extra rest, then, still appears the most likely solution. Ballard has yet to throw off a mound between starts, due to elbow discomfort. As a result, he hasn't refined his breaking pitches.

"That's the whole thing," Jackson said. "He has no breaking ball. He's "More rest is not going to do him any good," Robinson said. "What Jeff Ballard has to do is pitch. But I don't think he's the type of pitcher who can go to the bullpen and get up and down warming up.

"It's a matter of whether you continue to let him go out there. I don't know. It's something that has to be given serious thought. We'll have to see what's what." Said pitching coach Al Jackson, "He can be better, but I think he's been hampered. He can't be consistent.

He's in the middle of rehabilitation. That takes away his control. "A lot of times he can't get his el Chuck Finley, manager Frank Robinson was perhaps even more disturbed by Ballard's erratic outing, which matched his shortest of the season. Left with little choice, Robinson and the Orioles finally are conceding Ballard is not the same pitcher he was last year, when he won 18 games, more than any lefthander in the American League. Two offseason elbow operations would affect even the most durable starter, especially when his spring training consisted of only three weeks, half the usual amount Ballard was the club's union rep o-j His earned run average increased from 3.27 to 4.30 last Even more alarming, he has allowed nine home runs in 37 Vs innings, after giving up just 16 in 2 1 5 's innings last year.

To think, he might be the least of See ORIOLES, F7, Col. 1 First day in big leagues flies by for Orioles7 much-traveled Segui i''V i j'X TL I f) 1 7" from anyone else," Robinson Robinson also said Segui looked "pretty slick around the first-base bag." He plans to continue playing Segui at first (Randy Milligan was the designated hitter last night), even though the next two pitchers the Orioles will face are Mark Langston and Oakland's Bob Welch. "You've got to face those guys sooner or later," Robinson said. "We brought him here to play, we didn't bring him here to sit. This gives us an opportunity to look at him.

It's not like we're saying, 'we need some help, let's get him up The Orioles could have promoted former Chicago White Sox first baseman Greg Walker, whom they signed to a minor-league contract Friday. General manager Roland Hemond, however, said Segui was his first choice. Walker batted only five times for Chicago before getting released. Segui, the Orioles' 18th-round pick in 1987, was second in the Dominican League with a .333 average last winter. He batted .324 in 44 games for Double A Hagerstown last season and .317 in 83 games for Class A Frederick.

A prospect can't get to the majors much faster, but club officials believe Segui is uniquely prepared to handle any strain resulting from his promotion. He is the son of former major-league pitcher Diego Segui. He has been around the game all his life. "He was hitting the ball well here and doing a great job defensively," Biagini said. "He's got a good make- By Ken Rosenthal Evening Sun Staff ANAHEIM, Calif.

Players never forget the day they make The Show, but yesterday was a blur for David Segui. He got a phone call from Rochester manager Greg Bia-gini at 7:45 a.m. His plane left for the West Coast shortly after 9. Not a moment to waste, not a moment to think. "I just had time to get my stuff out of the clubhouse," Segui said.

"I got to the airport, and the plane was leaving in five minutes. I just barely got on. It doesn't matter to me. I'd take a stagecoach to get here." Frankly, the Orioles would have preferred that form of transportation. They never planned on promoting the switch-hitting first baseman this quickly, even though he was leading the International League with a .349 average.

The idea was for Segui to complete his first season at Triple A without disruption. The idea became obsolete after the Orioles placed designated hitter Sam Horn on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right shoulder. Segui, 23, arrived in southern California at 2:20 p.m. and immediately caught a cab for Anaheim Stadium. Then he grounded into two double plays and hit a bloop double for one of the Orioles' three hits off Angels lefthander Chuck Finley in their 6-0 loss to California.

"The one I hit off my foot was the hardest one I hit all night," Segui said, smiling, but manager Frank Robinson wasn't upset. "He had a rough night, but he wasn't different By Ken Rosenthal Evening Sun Staff ANAHEIM, Calif. If the thought of Jeff Ballard going 0-5 was ludicrous at the start of the season, the thought of his removal from the Orioles' rotation was downright One way or another, the Orioles defy logic, only this year it's for all the wrong reasons. Ballard, a glaring case in point, gave up three home runs in 4Vj innings in last night's 6-0 loss to California. On a night the Orioles produced just three hits off Angels lefthander Bishop makes break from Tour tradition By Sandra McKee Evening Sun Staff HARRISBURG, Pa.

Only a day ago, nearly every rider in the Tour de Trump bicycle race was complaining of being extremely tired. Walking through the support vehicle area after Monday's race, riders could be seen gasping for air. Others stretched out under nearby trees, greedily drinking from water bottles. Still others rubbed rock-hard calves, attempting to ward off cramps. The last thing any of the 122 riders expected yesterday morning when the 141.8-mile road race from Winchester, to Harrisburg, kicked off was a kamikaze-like breakaway.

Not only were they tired, but they also knew a 16.5-mile time trial in Easton, and a 71-mile circuit race from Allentown to Easton and back awaited them today. The idea a single rider could maintain a 70-mile sprint, alone, to the finish, seemed too remote to Still, the Tour de Trump is an Ail-American undertaking. Dreams can come true, and do: Witness the spectacular performance of American Andy Bishop, who won the Stage 7 race in an amazing one-man show, which included a 70-mile sprint to the finish on Front Street. No one counted on either Bishop's courage or his determination "to show" the elite European teams what he can do. Sponsored by a California restaurant named Spago, Bishop, a 24-year-old from Tucson, crested Harp Hill near Wolfsville, in the Catoctin Mountains and decided to make a run for it.

"I thought someone would come with me," said Bishop. "If they did, that was OK. But they didn't. And that turned out OK, too." There were mountain slopes, gravel roads, potholes, dust and 70 miles to go, when Bishop broke free. Somehow, the hazards that would break the tires and hearts of others didn't bother him.

"Initially, it was foolishness on my part to be out there in front alone," he said. "I did think of the finish and how far away it was. But I thought others would catch me and help me." But no one did. No one could. In fact, this stage was so tough eight riders didn't finish.

The field is down to 114, 19 less than the 133 who started six days ago in Wilmington, Del. Bishop, who crossed the finish line in 5:02:27, was so far ahead for so long, Philippe Casado of forgot he was out there. "I thought I had won the race," said Casado, who finished with his fist in the air and a huge smile on his See TOUR, F10, Col. 4 Associated Press See SEGUI, F8, Col. 1 David Segui grounded into two double plays, but also had double for his first major-league hit Overconfidence isn't sweeping over once-burned Bruins But they employ a style very much like Boston's with one very apparent difference: the Bruins do it so much better.

"We have firepower," says coach Mike Milbury, ticking off the names: "Cam Neeley, Craig Janney, Burridge, Dave Christian, Bobby Carpenter, Don Sweeney." So it's not like the heyday of the Canadiens or Red Wings of the '50s, but when stacked alongside the Caps it's like a battery of howitzers going against popguns. Speaking for his mates, Geoff Courtnall felt compelled to say, "We're not going to quit." Ever the optimist, goalie Don Beaupre, loser of the last two games, said, "We're still waiting for our big break, our big chance." Kelly Miller said, "It's pretty clear what we've got to do. We have to play like we've never played before. It will be tough, By Phil Jackman Evening Sun Staff LANDOVER The Boston Bruins know well the situation they face: up three games to none and looking to close out the other guy on his home ice. They faced this giddy predicament in their NHL Adams Division final against the fierce, longtime rival Canadiens two weeks ago and got beat at the Montreal Forum, 4-1.

Good grief, did these dogs of war ease up? Is there hope for Washington Capitals tonight (7:30, HTS) as they seek to avert a sweep at the Capital Centre? Don't slap down more than pocket change on it unless you get handsome odds. Following a 4-1 cakewalk in Game 3 the other night, most of the Bruins made it sound as if the Caps would be presenting many more problems for them than they had during the last seven periods of action. "Game 4 is going to be the hardest," assured the almost flawless Boston goalie Andy Moog. "Seems like it always is." "They've got a lot of pride," added Randy Burridge, "and they certainly don't want to be swept. We'll be ready 'cause they'll come out really hard.

We saw a sample of just how hard tonight Monday." Washington was impressive at the beginning of Monday night's fracas. And the pompom-waving sellout crowd was honked high, too. But you can sustain hellzapoppin' enthusiasm just so long when the prospects of scoring a goal never seem very imminent. In fact, if it weren't for John Druce, the Caps would be taking a serious run at the record for scorelessness the feeble Los Angeles Dodgers ran up against the Orioles during the 1966 World Series. "AH year long we've worked on the style of play we're playing so well now," continued Moog.

"Basically, what it is is we're not beating ourselves. If we don't give up anything, like sloppy turnovers in our own end, we'll be OK." OK is huge understatement. The Bruins have been immense since getting the daylights scared out of them by the Hartford Whalers. They've won seven of eight games and only one of them was what you'd call a nail-biter. And now they have guys like spiritual leader Ray Bourque saying things like, "We've just got to go out ready to play like we did in the first three games.

We wanted to play, we were hungry, we were forechecking, we were really going out to win a hockey game. "But, in the fourth game of the Montreal series, we were sitting around waiting for things to happen. You're not going to win playing that way." Ask the Capitals. It's not as though the Caps have been back on their heels. uui wc ii give it a y.

Meanwhile, the availability of Washington's injured top scorer, Dino Ciccarelli, remained up in the air. Dino says, "My head and my heart are telling me to get in there, but my knee is telling me to wait." Considering the circumstances, it's best the franchise listen to the knee. IF VS. ANGELS Don't bank on left-out Orioles cashing in $16 million Langston I WHEN: Tonight, 10:35 (HTS, WBAL-AM 1 090, WTOP-AM 1 500) By Chris Zang Evening Sun Staff YANKED: There are 42 outfielders on the AL All-Star ballot. Dave Winfield is not one of them.

"Whoever made the decision should be fired," Win-field said. "I've been in 12 in a row when I was healthy, more than the rest of the guys on this team put together. To not put me on, it's ridiculous." TRIVIA TEST: This player led all of baseball with 605 extra-base hits during the 1980s. Mike Schmidt? Wade Boggs? George Brett? Nope, try Boston's Dwight Evans. He has 1,300 RBIs to boot.

SMOKING: Detroit's Cecil Fielder has five home runs in where: Anaheim Stadium. SEASON SERIES: Angels lead 3-2. STANDINGS: The Orioles (11-16) are tied for fifth place in the AL East with New York, 6Vi games behind Milwaukee.The Angels (11-16) are In sixth place in the AL West, 9V2 games behind Oakland. PITCHERS: The Orioles' Pete Harnisch (2-0, 4.71) vs. the Angels' Mark Langston (2-2, 3.00).

EXTRA BASES: The Orioles are batting .189 (43-for-227) against lefthanded pitching David Segui hit into two double plays, but also had a double in the seventh in his major-league debut Bob Melvin is 4-for-1 1 (.364) in his past three games The Orioles got just one player to third base all evening Brad Kom-minsk, who reached base on an error and advanced to third on Se-gui's double The Orioles have five road wins, one in each city they've visited The Orioles need a win tonight to take their first series In Anaheim since August 1987. Orioles manager Frank Robinson said after last night's 6-0 loss. "We can't go on with an offense like this. We've got to figure out something. We've got to get some pizazz in the lineup." The Angels did just that with the insertion of Brian Downing into the lineup, which could be more bad news for the Orioles tonight.

Downing, a career .271 hitter who hadn't made a game appearance since being benched on April 28 with a .186 average, had a damaging leadoff walk in the first inning and a towering two-run homer in the fifth that built the Angels' lead to 5-0. "I wasn't as bad as they made me out to be," Downing said. "They made it sound like I hit .180 last year he actually batted .283 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs. "If you're a fighter, hearing something like that has to spur you to new life," he said. "If it isn't there anymore, I'll tip my hat and say, 'You were Just what the Orioles need: another lefthander.

And a $16 million one, at that. To say the Orioles have had a little trouble against lefthanders this season is to say President Bush is having a little debate over the tax situation. The reeling Birds are 1-6 against lefthanded starters thus far, and are hitting a paltry .189 against them. Tonight they face Mark Langston, who is a mere 2-0 with a 1.80 earned run average against the Orioles, with 17 strikeouts in 15 innings. Expect more of the same from last night, when southpaw Chuck Finley took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and gave up only one solid hit all night en route to a route-going three-hitter.

The shutout was the Orioles' second in the last six games. Nine of the past 10 runs they've scored have been unearned. We've got to do something, but I don't knAw what," three days..