Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 9

23 BASEBALL Bonds lapsed, Van Slyke leaped, and Bucs fell to Phillies" Pittsburgh Post-Gaettc: Monday, August 6, 1990 "He got in between whether to jump or not. That happens to everybody. Jim Leyland jump or not," Leyland said. "That happens to everybody. He's the best left fielder in the league." Not on this play.

The ball struck the plexiglass behind Bonds' head and caromed toward the infield for a double. Off at the crack of the bat, both runners scored. His post-game analysis of the play was succinct. 'The expletive-deleted game's over," he said before stalking off to the sanctuary of the players' lounge. "And I don't give a damn Bonds made amends for his mis-play in his next at-bat.

His two-out double triggered a two-run third inning, extending the Pirates' lead to 5-2. But the Phillies scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth to draw even, then used a two-run home run by Von Hayes in the sixth to snatch the lead. By Bruce Keidan Post-Gazette Columnist PHILADELPHIA Barry Bonds did not jump, and the Pirates lost a baseball game yesterday. Andy Van Slyke leaped, and they lost him, too. What the Pirates did not lose was ground in the National League East Division race.

They remained in a dead heat for first place with the New York Mets despite falling to the Phillies, 8-6. How long they can hold the high ground may depend on how seriously Van Slyke is injured. A malfunctioning X-ray machine at a local hospital left the matter in doubt last night Slump-stricken through much of the past two months, Van Slyke had shown signs of returning to form in recent days. When he singled to lead off the third inning at Veterans Stadium yesteday, it was his 14th hit in his past 27 at-bats. Although Walk was charged with both runs in the fifth inning, he was not around when they scored.

Scott Ruskin relieved after Walk walked the first two batters in the inning. Ruskin was the beneficiary of sensational catches by his second baseman, Jose Lind, and his shortstop, Jay Bell, but both runners scored. Ten of the 30 base runners he has inherited this season have found their way to home plate. After Ruskin gave up Hayes' 12th home run of the season, Leyland visited him on the mound. "I saw him hanging his head after that home run," the manager said.

"They notice that in the other dugout. I went out there to give' him some encouragement." Ruskin could use some. He tas been charged with eight runs, six of them earned, in his last 7 Mi innings of work. Then his luck and his left ankle took a turn for the worse. Bobby Bonilla, up next, worked the count full against Ken Howell.

Van Slyke, who had stolen a base in the first inning, inched his way farther and farther from first. Howell whirled and made a quick throw to his first baseman, John Kruk. A couple of quick steps and a jump got Van Slyke back to the base a heartbeat ahead of that throw, but he landed with his left foot half on and half off the bag. Betrayed, his ankle gave way. After writhing in agony on the ground for a moment, Van Slyke got to his feet and attempted to persuade his manager, Jim Leyland, that he was fit to continue.

Leyland vetoed that. Doctors here placed a cast on the injury, and Van Slyke returned to Pittsburgh for further diagnosis and treatment. With or without him, the Pirates now face 15 games in the next 13 days. But for another fluke play, they might have begun that grueling undertaking in sole possession of first place. After the Pirates spotted him three first-inning runs, Bob Walk appeared on the verge of escaping from the home half of the inning unscathed.

Then an uncharacteristic defensive lapse by Bonds made the Phillies a gift of two runs. With teammates at first and second and two outs, John Kruk drove a pitch from Bob Walk to deep left field. Bonds turned his back to the plate and set off in hot pursuit. He retreated to the fence, pivoted and appeared to be in position to make the catch. But the baseball eluded his glove.

"He got in between whether to 4. i' xvsrr.fL eSX7 PIRATE BOX SCORES Sunday's gam Philadelphia 8, Pirataa 6 PIRATES Back man 3b Ball Van Slyke cf Reynotdacf BoniHarl Bond If Bream 1b UVWmc lind 2b Walkp Ruakin Landrum King ph Kipparp PHIA brhM brhM 0 1 0 2 2 0 1110 3 0 0 0 4 0 11 4 2 10 2 112 4 0 12 2 0 10 2 0 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 Oykalra cf 4 0 3 0 4 2 0 0 4 2 12 3 2 10 4 0 3 2 4 0 0 1 5 2 2 1 Dauiton VHayeelt Murphy rl Kruk lb Harr 2b Trtonaa CHayaa 3b 4 0 2 0 KHoweilp Ready ph Carman Hoilins ph 10 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 Akertelds 0 0 0 0 Booker ph 10 11 Soever 0 0 0 0 Totele 31 13 7 302 000 1004 Total 34 10 Pireetee Philadelphia 200 122 10 Dykstra. Backman. DP Pirates 2, Phila- deiphia2. LOB PiratesS.

Philadelphia 1 1. SB-Bream, Kruk. C. Hayes, Bonds, LaValliere, Thon, Murphy. JBell.

HR-V. Hayes (12). SB Van Slyke(11. SF-Bonilla. Pirate pitching 4 2 1 1 er bt 3 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 bb eo 4 3 1 3 0 0 1 1 Walk Ruskin Landrum Kipper PntfaoMpM pitching tp KHowell 4 Carman W.5-0 2 Akertelds 1 BoevarS.1t 2 Walk pitched to 2 batters in the 5th, Ruskin pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.

HBP Dykstra by Walk. WP KHowell. BK-Walk, Carman. Umpire Home. McSherry; First.

Davidson; Second. Ruhlitord; Third, Williams. Rookie Tomlin pegged to start today's opener 'A' Van Slyke injured in Bucs' 8-6 loss FROM PAGE 19 Dykstra's error on the But Bob Walk, who labored Thto the fifth inning, immediately had problems in the bottom of the flfst. Dykstra's single and a walk to Dale Murphy put runners on first and 1 L. eiunu wiui iwu uuia.

duini nrun lifted a fly to deep left fielaVUut Barry Bonds failed to catch it at the wall, and it went for a two-run double. "Barry got in between whether to jump or not," Leyland said. "That happens to everybody. He's the best left fielder in the league." Mike LaValliere's two-run double in the third inning gave the Pirates a 5-2 lead, but the Phillies cut that to 5-3 with a run in the fourth. In the fifth, Von Hayes and Murphy drew inning-opening walksYahd Leyland brought in Scott Ruskin for Walk.

"Walkie struggled," Leyland said. "I told him in the second inning to pick up the pace a little bit. We were taking our time like we were operating on somebody. We get three quick runs in the first inning, and the bottom of the first's not over for another half an hour." Von Hayes came around on two ground balls, and Dickie Thon, who's 18-for-45 (.400) against the Pirates this season, singled in With two outs in the sixth, Ruskin walked Darren Dauiton, and just like the first three walks they gave in the game, this walk hurt the Pirates, too. Von Hayes followed with his 12th home run, giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead.

Four of those seven runs were scored by Phillies who'd walked. "We pitched lousy," said Leyland, whose pitching staff trails only the Mets' in fewest walks allowed in the major leagues. The Pirates made it 7-6 in the seventh on Jay Bell's double, Reynolds' ground ball and Bobby Bonilla's sacrifice fly. But a three-base throwing error by Wally Backman on Thon's leadoff bouncer in the bottom of the seventh led to an eighth Phillie run. Thon scored on pinch-hitter Rod Booker's bouncing single over a Chico Lind.

The Pirates threatened Ihlhe eighth, putting runners on first and third with one out, but pinch-hitter Jeff King, who was 6-for-15 in the previous three games, grounded into his 10th double play of the season. The Pirates had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth, but Joe Boever, who's saved the Phillies' past three wins over the Pirates, struck out Bonds on a full count pitch to end it. NOTES In tonight's double-header at 5:35, rookie Randy Tomlin and Rick Reed are scheduled to start for the Pirates and Terry Mulholland and Dennis Cook for the Phillies, When the Pirates play a doubleheader in Cincinnati Aug. 17, Randy Kramer might be brought up from Buffalo to start one of the games: In six career appearances against the Reds, Kramer has allowed only two earned runs in 21 Va innings. is 22-for-61 (.362) in the past 15 games LaValliere's two-run double gave him his first multiple-RBI game since June 12.

Before yesterday, the Phillies had scored only two runs on 10 hits in their three previous games against the Pirates. Von Hayes' home run was only the second allowed by Ruskin in 46 innings this season. DATA (Through Saturday's gamaa) SWINGS Don SidugM. who usually bats low in the Pirates' lineup, hit leadott tor the tirst time in his career Saturday He drove in all three runs as the Pirates beat Philadelphia 3-1 in 10 innings SCORING Brett butler hat twee scored trom second base on sacrifice tlys thib season. SLUGGERS Mike Morgan has given up iust two home runs the last til innings, both to Matt Williams.

STARTERS Hoger Clemens, celebrating his 28th birthday, threw 16b pilches 90-uegree heal Saturday as Boston beat Detroit 3-1. STRIKEOUTS Cecil Fielder has struck out 129 times. Jake Wood set the Detroit recoid ot 141 tn 1961. SLUMPS At bditimore reliefer Mjrk Williamson has given up a home run in five adaight appearances. Saturday' gam Pirat 3, Philadelphia 1 PIRATES Slaught Bell Van Slyke cf Bonilla rf Bond! if King 3b Bream 1b Redut lb Lind 2b Heaton Belinda Patterson Reynolds ph Power PHtLA brhM Dykstracf 4 0 00 Harr 2b 4 0 2 0 VHayesIf 4 111 Murphy rt 4 0 10 CMertim lb 3 0 0 0 Campsnopr 0 0 0 0 Kruk lb 10 0 0 CMayea3b 4 0 10 brhM 5 0 2 3 5 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 10 4 0 0 0 4 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 10 0 4 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 1 3 Thonss 4 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 Nietoe Dauiton Combs Ready ph RMcOowll 0 0 0 0 Jordan ph 10 0 0 Totals 1 7 1 001 000 000 24 000 000 001 01 Tot eta Pirate Philadelphia DP-Pirates 1.

Philadelphia 4. LOB Pirates S. Philadelphia 5. 28 Herr, King. J.

Ball. Slaught. HR-VHaya1 1). S-Heaton. Pirate pitching ip er bb eo Heaton 6 4 0 0 0 4 Belinda 2-3 1 0 0 0 0 Patterson W.8-3 2 1-3 1 1 1 0 0 Power S.6 1 1 0 0 0 0 Philadelphia pitching Ip er bb eo Combs 8 6 112 4 RMcDowell L.3-5 2 3 2 2 1 0 Heaton pitched to 1 batter in the 7th.

Umpires Home, Williams: First, McSherry; Second. Davidson; Third. ReMord. PE3ATE5 STATS Batting 2b 24 56 12 1 2 0 73108 25 36106 23 46 98 16 22 50 9 40 61 14 57107 21 27 68 12 78107 26 27 52 10 3b HR 2 4 1 0 3 19 3 1 4 12 1 0 2 2 5 4 1 11 4 23 1 4 RBI Avg 27 .346 1 .333 77 .320 38 .305 50 .293 18 .292 20 .279 34 .276 50 .270 72 .266 25 .250 1 .250 6 .242 17 .238 15 .219 0 .143 2 .143 5 .157 2 .133 1 .057 0 .056 3 .031 0 .000 0.000 0 .000 Sight Ruskin Bonds Lind 338 347 VnSlyk 335 Rynlds 171 Bckmn 219 Bell 388 Bream 252 Bonilla 403 King 208 Reed 16 Bellird 33 LaVlliar 168 Redut 146 0 4 8 8 17 40 13 32 0 1 Power Walk Drabek Smiley Heaton Pattrin Bilrdllo Lndrm Kipper Belinda Pitching 8 3 2 12 1 2 6 IP 53Vi 53 36 30 150126 74 66 35Vi 24 43 25 46V) 49 114111 96 106 89 90 50 56 ER BB 13 14 11 10 46 43 24 16 12 19 15 20 17 26 47 27 42 30 41 20 24 10 SO ERA 32 2.19 30 2.70 82 2.76 54 2.92 33 3.06 26 3.09 33 3.30 54 3.81 53 3.94 54 4.13 26 4.29 Lndrm Power Drabk Pttrsn 14 4 8 3 Belnda 2 3 Kipper Ruskin Heatn Walk Smiley Reed 4 1 2 2 10 7 5 4 5 5 2 3 HOME ATTENDANCE (48 data) 1990 1.100,938 (Avg. 23.933) 1989 891,706 (Avg.

19,385) 198 1.030.802 (Avg. 22.409) PP ATES DATA Agricultural report: BUFFALO (67-48) beat Pawtucket, 8-0, Saturday night. Jerry Reuss (2-2) allowed three hits and a walk in seven innings. Center fielder John Cangelosl had three hits and two RBIs. HARRISBURG (56-54) beat Ha-gerstown, 6-2.

Starter Bias Minor (6-2) won. Jeff Neely got his eighth save. Catcher Jeff Banister had two hits, including his ninth home run, and two RBIs. Left fielder Greg Tubbs had three hits. SALEM (39-71) beat Winston-Salem, 9-1.

Third baseman Austin Manahan had two hits, including his second home run. First baseman Tim Hines was 3-for-4 with his eighth home run and four RBIs. Right fielder Chris Estep hit his 15th homer. AUGUSTA (61-56) beat Charleston, 3-1. David Bird got his 14th save.

Shortstop Roman Rodriguez was 3-for-4. Left fielder Tim Curley had two hits and two RBIs. WELLAND (21-27) lost to Elmira. 7-4. Kurt Miller (2-1) lost.

Second baseman John Schulte was 3-for-3. BRADENTON (17-23) lost to the Expos, 10-3. Left fielder Pascual Arace had a double and two RBIs. pitch then turning on the other side and saying, 'If I'd thrown that then turning back to the other side and saying, 'If I'd thrown this Drabek said, "then, yes, I slept." Rusty Kennedy Associated Press Pirate second baseman Jose Lind leaps over Charlie Hayes as he watches his throw reach first base in time to complete a double play in the fourth inning of yesterday's game at Philadelphia. Torre was drawn back by uniform By Paul Meyer Post-Gazette Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA The Pirates reached down to their Class AA farm team yesterday to find a starting pitcher for the first game of tonight's doubleheader.

Randy Tomlin, 24, a lefthander, is scheduled to make his major-league debut today at 5:35 p.m. against Philadelphia. "Randy Tomlin and his major-league debut," Manager Jim Leyland said. "I like that stuff." Leyland likes Tomlin's stuff, too. "I only saw him once in spring training, but I liked what I saw," Leyland said.

"He has good stuff. He's a good fielder. And he has an excellent move to first base." But why bring up a pitcher from Class AA? "Why not?" Leyland answered. Another answer is that the Pirates wanted a left-hander to start against the Phillies, and the only left-hander at Class AAA Buffalo is Jerry Reuss, 41. The Pirates brought Tomlin here yesterday so he could acclimate himself a bit.

He won't officially go on the roster until today. To make room, the Pirates sent infielder Armando Moreno back to Buffalo. The Pirates will make another roster move tomorrow, calling up a hitter from Buffalo and sending a pitcher out. That pitcher probably will be Tomlin, but he'll have his day in the twilight today. "I'm very excited," he said.

"I wasn't expecting this. I'm just trying to soak it all in." Tomlin, 5 feet 11, 179 pounds, was the Pirates' 18th-round draft pick in June 1988 out of Liberty Baptist College in Lynchburg, the same school that produced Pirate first baseman Sid Bream and New York Yankee pitcher Lee Guetterman. He was 7-5 with a 2.18 earned run average in 15 starts for Class A Watertown that summer, allowing 75 hits and 25 walks in 103Vb innings. He split last season between Class A Salem (12-6, 3.25) and Harrisburg (2-2, 0.84). This season, he appeared in three games for Buffalo with no record between long stints with Harrisburg, where he is 9-6 (2.28) in 19 games (18 starts).

In 126V3 innings, he's allowed 101 hits, 34 walks and struck out 92. Tossing and turning Doug Drabek, who lost a no-hitter on Sil Campusano's two-out single in the ninth inning Friday night, said he did sleep that night. "If you count turning on this side and saying, 'If I'd put that By Joseph Durso New York Times News Service ST. LOUIS Joe Torre sat in the red baseball uniform of the St. Louis Cardinals and faced the inevitable question: Why would anybody forgo the rewards of the television booth and return to the field at the age of SO as the manager of a last-place team? "It doesn't make any sense," Torre decided, agreeing with the common wisdom.

"I had a happy job broadcasting games for the California Angels. I had a great lifestyle living in Southern California. The hours were good, and I played golf all the time. "Why did I do it?" he repeated. The red in his jersey seemed to glow as he reached for the reason: "I'm wearing it.

I'm wearing it. "I gave up hope I'd ever come back," he said. "But once I got beyond three years in the booth, I stopped being drawn back to the field. I was comfortable. I was learning a new career, and getting better at it." Then the telephone rang two weeks ago, and it was Dal Maxvill, one of Torre's friends and former teammates and now the general manager of the Cardinals.

"When Maxie called me," Torre said, "I wasn't surprised; I was frightened. But I knew I wanted to go out there and do it again. My wife Alice said, 'I like But she knows I like the challenge." Torre took over the team this week, replacing the interim manager, Red Schoendienst, who was running the club since Whitey Herzog resigned last month. Herzog was apparently fed up with his players' attitude and performance and quit after 11 years as the successful and acclaimed manager of the Cardinals. The search for a successor involved seven candidates and eventually came down to three: Don Baylor, the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers; Hal Lanier, a former player and coach for the Cardinals and manager of the Houston Astros, now a coach with the Philadelphia Phillies; and Torre, for the past six seasons the man at the microphone for Gene Autry's Angels.

Torre had some glittering credentials. He was a star catcher for the Braves in Milwaukee and Atlanta for eight years, a heavy hitter in a lineup that included Henry Aaron. He then played for the Cardinals for six years and was the batting champion of the big leagues in 1971. Then he gave some senior style to the Mets for three years, and became their manager in 1977. Four and a half years later, he was dismissed by Frank Cashen, who was recasting the team from top to bottom.

But Torre moved his act back to Atlanta, promptly led the Braves to the Western Division championship in the National League, led them to second-place finishes the nex two years and then was dismissed by Ted Turner. By then, he knew all about wasn 't surprised; I was frightened. But I knew I wanted to go out there and do it again. Cardinals' Joe Torre high-risk jobs in the big leagues. Through it all, Torre portrayed a macho image, forthright and direct and bold.

He also symbolized the distinction needed to resurrect a proud team: He was an old Cardinal. And the search for a manager was being led by Maxvill, who had been brought back to baseball twice before when Torre hired him to be his third-base coach with the Mets and the Braves. Now Maxvill was the general manager, working alongside Ted Simmons, another old Cardinal, now the farm director for the club. "We were teammates," Torre said. "We were taught the game the same way.

We played together. Now we're working together." The old Cardinals have a lot of work to perform together. The Cardinals won three pennants and one World Series during their Herzog heyday in the 1980s. But this season, the "walk season" for eight of their players who can become free agents, they have dropped into last place. Before he left, Herzog openly suggested that the players were concentrating more on their next contracts than on their present problems.

"Maxie and I have talked about what this club will look like next spring," Torre said. "Guys going for big numbers, and all that. But he didn't say we were going to gut the team. "After I joined the team Thursday in Philadelphia, I told the guys that my judgments would start now. Everything starts now.

We'll figure it out, me and Maxie and Ted Simmons. I'm signed for this year and the next two. But if it's a rebuilding project, it might take five years. "What I did in New York as a manager helped me learn how to manage. We had to be aggressive to get runs.

We weren't going to score six runs in one rally. I kept learning in Atlanta. We've got that problem here, too." But can the Cardinals meanwhile survive in a division that includes the rich and well-stocked Mets? "I don't know," he said. "We'll find out." Can Torre survive in a city and in a business that came to regard Herzog as the master manager? "If I came here to try to replace Whitey 'Herzog," the old Cardinal said, "I'm crazy.".