The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 25

SATURDAY, June 1, 1991 The Sun C5 Pulling, and pushing, his weight Silcox hoping injury hasn't made him rusty Hampton on Jones' no-hit list riJ -vv to- ft i mib By PETE MARSHALL Special to The Sun A DEL ANTO The kids look at him and wonder if he really plays for the Mavericks. After all, they've never seen him play, he just seems to hang out with the team and wear a cool uniform. Prior to Friday night's game, he had pitched for the Mavericks this year. But, he is on the team and his name is Rusty Silcox. "I need to really get out there, whether it be one inning or three innings, it doesn't Silcox said.

Silcox just came off the disabled list after straining ligaments in his elbow in the last two weeks of last season when his Spokane rookie-league team was preparing for the playoffs. "I went to the doctor and he told me six weeks, no throwing," Silcox said. "But it didn't turn out that way. It was eight weeks before I even did anything. I tried to throw and I couldn't." Silcox had to undergo extensive rehabilitation near his home in Texas.

Spring training came around and Silcox was worried that it might have been a career-threatening injury. Silcox was given the option of having surgery, which he says is only "50-50." The surgery was the same that kept Mavericks reliever Saul Soltero out for a whole season. Major-leaguer Tommy John also had the surgery, which involves taking a ligament from the leg and using it in the arm. Silcox wasn't ready for it, though. "It's too early in my he said.

The rehabilitation appeared successful and Silcox is now ready to pitch for the Mavericks. Silcox has received some good- t.J'." i Jr. AP WIREPHOTO eye of trainer Erik Helland as the in Chicago. Mavericks' errors lead to 7-5 Modesto win i a i. i Horace Grant of Chicago goes through a workout under the watchful Bulls get ready to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, beginning Sunday Lakers: Proud after Western Conference victory By PETE MARSHALL Special to The Sun ADELANTO It was an example of a failed rally that was made necessary because of errors.

There were only two, but they were costly, and High Desert lost to the Modesto A's, 7-5, before 3,276 at Maverick Stadium on Friday night. Modesto got an unearned run in the top of the first against High Desert. Manuel Martinez hit one to left with one out that J.D. Noland muffed, allowing Martinez to reach third. Enoch Simmons' single to right put the A's up 1-0.

Three runs in the fifth expanded the Modesto lead. Glenn Osinski singled with one out, and went to second as Kevin Dattola By MARC STEIN Special to The Sun SAN BERNARDINO Another name has been added to Tommy Jones' no-hit stable, a group of pitchers Mike Hampton no doubt aspires to emulate. For one night, at least, Hampton proved capable. With the franchise's first no-hitter a 6-0 victory Friday over the Visalia Oaks the San Bernardino Spirit left-hander became Jones' newest source of pride. Hampton's predecessors in the fraternity? Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza and David Cone.

Really. Saberhagen has won two Cy Young awards. Cone and Gubicza pitched in the 1988 All-Star Game. Dave Eiland, also a no-hit wonder for Jones, is a rookie with the New York Yankees. Until Friday night, Hampton was reminiscent of none of them.

"He's got the same type of arm," Jones said of Hampton. "The only difference is that he's 18. He has a chance to be an impact starting pitcher in the major leagues." When Hampton faced the Oaks last week, it was as a middle reliever. But two scoreless appearances convinced Jones, the first-year Spirit manager, to move him back into the rotation. "They put me in the bullpen just to get my confidence back," said Hampton, who faced 29 batters, walking three and striking out five.

"I needed a win." So, too, did the Spirit (19-32), losers of seven in a row at Fiscali-ni before Hampton's stunner. In Thursday's 12-3 loss to Visalia, the Spirit fell into last place in the Southern Division of the California League, in part because of five errors. For Hampton, San Bernardino played perhaps its best defense of the season. "I don't know how they made some of the plays they made tonight," Hampton said. Equally pleasant for the Spirit was the control of Hampton, who consistently threw strikes early in the count.

That's all Jones wanted. "It gave (pitching coach) Chuck Kniffin a chance to work on his mechanics and fundamentals," Jones said of Hampton's transfer to the bullpen. "When you don't put the ball in. play, that's when the infielders and outfielders start to fall asleep." Hampton's concentration never wavered, despite a ninth-inning wave in the stands that made for a curious backdrop. But Hampton avoided the distraction to strike out Alex Nunez and Brian Raabe to start the ninth.

Then, with two outs, Spirit shortstop Lipso Nava made his second save of what looked to be a sure hit, sealing the improbable and triggering a pileup of Spirit players on Hampton. "The most before I threw in a game was seven innings," said Hampton, who had three no-hitters in high school. "I was pretty tired, but I was trying not to think about it." Aside from scares in the seventh and ninth, Hampton was never in trouble. Hampton retired the last 16 batters he faced. Spirit notes Center fielder Tow Msynard had an Ice pack on his right shoulder alter the game, the result of his collision with the fence In the seventh Inning.

Maynard went hard into the wall, leaping to take away Chris Delarwelle's bid for an extra-base hit. "I knew It was going to stay in the park," Maynard said. "And once I see (that), I'm going to try like (heck) to catch the ball." Maynard, the Cal League's top base-stealer with 37, said he expects to play tonight when the Spirit hosts the Oaks at 7:05. DASHY Don't tuek with chMp tmHutlon, lh Onglnai Dasliyl Prices Good Now Thru OPEN DAILY 1 0-6 SAT. U- tAUI ITiM tUftJtCT OtTIT tr 0N THE P0T 10 STORES TO SERVE YOU BETTER Jo SwiIMm CuMrtlno San Bimtrdlno Ntwtrd -ChuUVIiti Frno Montcltlr SacraiMfito-SinDltgo fiut M750 VI San (714) M4 429I 1 the first time, said he believed in his team even if others didn't.

"The only reason I took this job was that I knew this team had a chance to go the Finals," Dunleavy said. "And on May 30, I'm still right." And everyone else was wrong, much to the Lakers' delight. Lakers notes James Worthy played 38 minutes on his sprained left ankle Thursday and didn't look like himself offensively. He didn't drive once and shot 3-OI-12. But he again played solid defense on Clyde Drexler.

"He gave us enough defensively to get us where we wanted to go," Mike Dunleavy said. "The ankle is tender." Worthy said. "I hope with two days' rest I'll get some movement back." He'll need it, since he figures to guard either Scottle Pippen or Michael Jordan in this series. Sixth man Terry Teagle, who seemed to be hitting his stride late in the season and early in the playoffs, is slumping bigtime 4-for-22 In the last three games. Magic Johnson, on facing Michael Jordan in the Finals for the first time: "I think we've both looked forward to this day.

It's exciting. Michael and I have become real good friends. We always wanted to play in the Finals and now he has his chance." Continued fromC1 land and L.A. were widely regarded as the two favorites to win the West. Nonetheless, this no-respect thing was the Lakers' agenda, and they were sticking to it.

Perkins, whose offseason acquisition may have been the biggest reason the Lakers exceeded expectations, seemed to have the most personal ax to grind. "People kept saying I wasn't a factor, that I wouldn't show up in the playoffs, like in Dallas," said Perkins, who was booed at the Forum early in the season but has become a crowd favorite in the playoffs, when he's averaged 18.1 points and 8.6 rebounds. "Heck, they've said it all season. That's been a real incentive for me." Dunleavy, who like Perkins is in the Finals for Rusty Silcox Coming off injury natured ribbing from his teammates. "I can't say anything without them saying, 'Just get one inning, just one inning," Silcox said.

"But once I get that one inning, though. Silcox finally got his first inning as a Maverick Friday. It was actually two innings and he allowed one run, gave up two walks and three hits, while striking out one. Look for him to join the starting rotation before too long. Mavericks notes First baseman Jay Gainer injured his left leg while fielding during the seventh inning Thursday.

Gainer stayed in the game, but was pulled for a pinch runner the next inning Gainer hopes to be back in a day or two. Mark Gieseke started in his place Friday. You can blame the weather lor the fact that Steve Martin has been limited to a designated hitter role. The recent cold weather has slowed his recovery from a hamstring injury, he said. Martin's running is currently "80 percent." When the weather gets warmer, look for him to return to the outfield Royal Thomas (5-4.

5.00 ERA) will pitch lor High Desert today in the series opener at San Bernardino at 7:05 p.m. reached on an error by Ray Hol-bert. Martinez's double scored two, and a fielder's choice by Simmons scored Martinez after Martinez had stolen third. The Mavericks cut into the lead in the fifth. Holbert started the rally by doubling to left with one out.

Matt Witkowski walked with two out to set up Matt Mieske, who doub.ed to left-center to make it 4-2. Mark Gieseke then reached on an error by Fasto Cruz, allowing Mieske to score. High Desert tied the game 4-4 in the sixth, as John Abercrombie hit his first home run of the season. The A's regained the lead in the seventh. Dattola doubled to left to started, and Martinez's double down the left-field line made it 5-4.

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