Offer up the Richmond Braves' 10-3 loss to Norfolk last night at The Diamond as a nutshell explanation of the Braves' season.

Strong start. Downhill in the middle.

Richmond took a 3-0 lead in the first inning as a crowd of 11,340 settled into the stadium. It was obliterated after a seven-run, sixth-inning meltdown that drew the ire of pitching coach Guy Hansen.

Similarly, the Braves (40-50) had a four-game lead in the International League South Division after 43 games. Having lost 16 of their past 19, they've plummeted into a tie for second with Charlotte -- nine games and falling behind Durham.

Hansen was unhappy with the work of reliever Jeff Ridgway, whom the Braves obtained from Tampa Bay in a trade for Willy Aybar this past winter.

The left-hander came on in the sixth after starter Jerome Gamble gave up a two-run double that put Norfolk ahead 4-3. Ridgway yielded four hits, hit a batter and uncorked a wild pitch as the Tides scored five more runs.

His ERA went to 5.77.

"He needs to settle down and have a good chat with himself," Hansen said. "He's wasting a tremendous amount of ability. He's putting himself over the top in the way he's going about his business. That won't play for any team in the major leagues.

"He should be dominating here and effective at the major-league level. He should be a star -- a star. To keep saying, 'What's going on . . . '"

Richmond had four hits in the first inning. The Braves managed one more in the next six innings.

"We ain't hitting, either," hitting coach Chris Chambliss said. "There's a message there, too."

ERROR OF THEIR WAYS: Richmond's defense played a part, too. The Braves committed four errors. Three came on back-to-back-to-back plays in the fifth, leading to an unearned run.

PITCHING IN: Infielder Derrick Arnold pitched the ninth inning, getting three fly balls to center field. Arnold had made three other pitching appearances, giving up six hits and nine runs in three innings.

ANOTHER MOVE: Richmond placed reliever Phil Stockman on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Stockman (1-0, 0.77 ERA) has not pitched since June 20, when he returned from Atlanta. The R-Braves have made 91 roster moves.

PICKY: Right-hander Matt DeSalvo has picked off several runners this season, but he was called for a pair of balks Friday that left the Braves scratching their heads. R-Braves manager Dave Brundage said the umpiring crew said DeSalvo was spinning on his front foot when throwing the first base.

"You hate to see a guy punished who has worked hard on his move," Brundage said. "That's one of his assets. He got punished because of his quick feet. He has one of the better moves in baseball."

DeSalvo said he has never been called for a balk on that move.

"I'll have to put a conscious effort into taking my back foot off the rubber and making sure my direction is going to first," he said.

NORFOLK	RICHMOND
	a	r	h	bi			a	r	h	bi
Redman lf	4	1	0	0		Andrsn cf	4	0	0	0
Torres 2b	4	2	2	1		Lillbrdge ss	4	1	2	0
Salazar dh	5	1	2	2		Jones dh	3	1	1	1
Cstnzo 1b	5	0	1	1		Canzrs 1b	4	0	1	0
Terrero rf	3	1	0	0		Hrnndz 2b	3	1	1	1
Moore 3b	4	2	1	2		Gorecki rf	3	0	1	1
Roberson cf	5	1	2	0		Ldnthl lf	3	0	1	0
Heintz c	4	1	2	2		Sammns c	4	0	0	0
McCoy ss	4	1	1	1		Cruz 3b	4	0	0	0
Totals	38	10	11	9		Totals	32	3	7	3

Norfolk ------------------------- 000 117 100 -- 10 11 0
Richmond ------------------------- 300 000 000 -- 7 7 4

E -- Sammons (8), Lillibridge (12), Canizares 2 (5). LOB -- Norfolk 8, Richmond 6. 2B -- Salazar 2 (25), Lillibridge 2 (9), Loadenthal (1). 3B -- Moore (2). S -- McCoy. SB -- Torres (14), Hernandez (1). CS -- Costanzo (2), Hernandez (2), Gorecki (1).

Norfolk	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Mitchell W 8-5	7	5	3	3	3	2
Cherry	1	1	0	0	0	0
Yan	1	1	0	0	1	1
Richmond
Gamble L 0-4	5.1	5	5	4	1	3
Ridgway	.2	4	4	4	0	0
Moss	2	2	1	1	3	3
Arnold	1	0	0	0	0	0

WP -- Gamble, Ridgway, Moss.

HBP -- by Gamble (Terrero), by Ridgway (Redman).

Time -- 2:42. A -- 11,340 paid.