Saturday June 11 at the Yankees

Opponent: New York Yankees
Outcome: L
Score: 6-8
Streak: L1
Record: 15-44
Rank: 7th
GB: 22.5

This game made news before it even started - Yankees manager Billy Martin decided to use Rick Rhoden, who was the losing pitcher in last night's game, as his DH this afternoon, skipping several other more traditional options such as Claudell Washington, Mike Pagliarulo and Jose Cruz.  Martin felt that none of those three were likely to hit well against Orioles starter Jeff Ballard.  And oddly enough it actually worked somewhat.

The Orioles took an early lead in the top of the third via some small ball.  Joe Orsulak led off with a single and Rene Gonzales laid down a bunt to attempt to sacrifice him to second.  But Gonzales ended up beating it out to put runners on first and second with no one out.  Pete Stanicek then successfully executed the sacrifice bunt and moved the runners up 90 feet (not that Gonzales' bunt wasn't successful).  A single by Bill Ripken brought in Orsulak but Ripken was out a second trying to sneak an extra base on the play.  Cal Ripken struck out to end the inning.

The Birds got two more in the next inning.  Eddie Murray led off with a single and Mickey Tettleton followed up with a double to put runners on second and third.  Two consecutive sacrifice flies by Jim Traber and Ken Gerhart brought the two in and the Orioles led 3-0.

But the Yankees came back in the bottom of the third.  With one out Dave Winfield singled and Jack Clark drew a walk.  Jay Buhner hit a single to score Winfield and Gary Ward followed with another RBI single that scored Clark (and moved Buhner to third).  This brought Rhoden up for the second time today (he had grounded out to lead off the bottom of the third).  Rhoden hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Buhner to tie up the game.  It was the last RBI of Rhoden's career which ended the following season in Houston (which was still NL at the time so he did bat that year).  Rafael Santana then lined out to end the inning.

The Yankees broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth.  With one out Wayne Tolleson and Bobby Meachum hit back to back singles.  When Ballard got behind in the count to Winfield, Orioles manager Frank Robinson pulled him in the middle of the at bat and replaced him with Doug Sisk.  But Sisk ended up walking Winfield to load the bases and then proceeded to walk Clark to force in a run.  Buhner then followed up with a grand slam, the second one that the Orioles had given up in the past three games after not having given up one all season.  The score was now 8-3 in favor of New York.  Sisk managed to get Ward and Cruz (who pinch hit for Rhoden) out on ground balls to get out of the inning without further damage but what damage had happened was bad enough - five runs on three hits and two walks.

The Orioles used some long ball to make it close.  Eddie Murray hit his second two run home run in as many days in the eighth to make it 8-5 and Ken Gerhart led off the ninth with a home run but it was too little too late.