Thursday August 4 vs the Indians

Opponent: Cleveland Indians
Outcome: W
Score: 5-0
Streak: W3
Record: 35-71
Rank: 7th
GB: 28

It was "Three Buck Night" so I was of course at this game.  And I wasn't alone.  My brother-in-law was coming into town on business and we had arranged for me to pick him up at BWI Airport and head to the game.  We actually ran into my parents at the airport that afternoon - my 85 year old grandfather in Missouri was going to be undergoing emergency open heart surgery that evening and they were flying out to be with him.  So there was a cloud hanging over us as we made our way out to Memorial Stadium.  We met up with my friend Steve who was there with his former landlady Claire (Steve had rented a room in her house during our senior year in college) and her son Ben (who was ten-ish at the time but somehow unbelievably now is a 40-ish ex-Marine).  I had been hoping that Steve was going to bring this Sabra woman with him that he told me I should meet but it didn't happen.

The Orioles won this evening without getting an earned run.  In fact since the Indians were shut out there were no earned runs at all in this game.  The Birds got their first runs in the third inning.  Eddie Murray led off with a walk and Mickey Tettleton followed with a single.  A passed ball by Indians' catcher Chris Bando with Larry Sheets at the plate moved the runners up although Sheets ultimately struck out.  Murray scored when Ken Gerhart grounded out to shortstop Ron Washington.  The next batter Rick Schu also hit a ground ball to Washington who booted it, allowing Tettleton to move to rhird and Schu to reach first.  Bill Ripken followed with a single to center that scored Tettleton.  Indians center fielder then misplayed the ball for an error that allowed Schu to score and Ripken ended up at third.  Pete Stanicek then grounded out to end the inning.  The Orioles had scored three runs on two hits, two errors, a walk and a passed ball.

They picked up a couple more runs a few innings later.  With two outs Cal Ripken walked and Murray reached on a second error from shortstop Ron Washington.  Tettleton then doubled to bring both runners in and make the score 5-0.  The victory completed the Orioles' first three game series sweep of the season  Their modest three game winning streak was tied for the longest of the season.

My brother-in-law and I must have gotten to the game late because I didn't keep score and I don't have the newspaper clippings from the next day.  I dropped my brother-in-law off at his hotel in downtown Baltimore (which coincidentally was the hotel the Orioles' next opponent - the Milwaukee Brewers - would be staying.  They had a big banner up welcoming them) and headed home.  Shortly after I got home I got a phone call from my father in Missouri letting me know that my grandfather had passed away.  Apparently the surgery had been successful but there were complications from the anesthesia and he never regained consciousness.