May 8 vs the White Sox

Opponent: Chicago White Sox
Outcome: W
Score: 6-5
Streak: W1
Record: 4-25
Rank: 7th
GB: 15

This game was a bit of a roller coaster, featuring the Orioles getting ahead early, falling behind mid-game, going ahead late but then blowing the save but then winning the game in extra innings.  The Birds took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Cal Ripken hit a home run (his sixth of the year) with his brother Bill on base.  The White Sox cut the lead in half in the top of the second on a Daryl Boston RBI double and then went ahead two innings later when Boston had a two run home run.  Harold Baines led off the fifth with a solo home run which pushed Chicago's lead to 4-2. 

But the Orioles fought back in the bottom of the seventh.  With one out, Carl Nichols and Rick Schu hit back-to-back singles and Pete Stanicek hit a double that brought Nichols in to score.  Pinch hitter Fred Lynn hit a sacrifice fly that scored Schu and moved Stanicek to third.  That heads up base running by Stanicek paid off when White Sox pitcher Jon Davis uncorked a wild pitch and brought him in with the go-ahead run.

Unfortunately Doug Sisk couldn't hold the lead in the top of the ninth.  Ivan Calderon led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a passed ball by catcher Terry Kennedy, who had just come into the game as a pinch hitter for Nichols in the bottom of the eighth.  Greg Walker then hit a game tying single.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the tenth when Cal Ripken led off with a walk.  Eddie Murray followed up with a single to push Ripken into scoring position and then both runners moved up when White Sox pitcher Bobby Thigpen balked while pitching to Ken Gerhart.  With runners now on second and third manager Frank Robinson decided to pinch hit for Gerhart with Keith Hughes.  The White Sox countered by intentionally walking Hughes to load the bases.  Joe Orsulak then hit a single scoring Ripken with the game winning run.  Improbably the Orioles now had two walk off wins in their last three games.  Two of the their four wins on the season so far were walk offs.  And the Orioles actually had a winning week - they were 3-2 in the space from Monday, May 2nd (Fantastic Fans night) to Sunday, May 8th.  It would not be a sign of better things to come but it was a rare good week for the team.