Friday July 8 vs the Rangers

Opponent: Texas Rangers
Outcome: L
Score: 5-8
Streak: L1
Record: 26-59
Rank: 7th
GB: 26

For second time in three games the Orioles only managed four hits in the game.  Unlike Wednesday night though they were able to parlay those four hits into five runs.  But it wasn't enough against the Rangers' offense this evening.

Texas got to Baltimore starter Jeff Ballard earlier this night.  Cecil Espy led off the game with a double and went to third on Scott Fletcher's single.  Ruben Sierra then hit a ground ball that forced Fletcher at second but also brought in Espy with the game's first run.  Two batters later Pete O'Brien hit a two run home run to make it 3-0.

The Birds got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning.  With one out Cal Ripken reached on an error by Rangers starter Jose Guzman and Eddie Murray followed with a two run home run.  The score was now 3-2.

The Rangers put up another run in the fourth.  Bob Brower started the inning with a single before Steve Beuchele popped out.  On the second pitch to Mike Stanley Brower stole second and a pitch later he stole third.  Stanley then singled to bring him (and knock Ballard out of the game).  John Habyan came in and got the next two batters out but ran into trouble of his own the next inning.  Fletcher singled to lead off the inning and Sierra reached on an error by Cal Ripken that allowed Fletcher to get to third.  Pete Incaviligia hit a sacrifice fly to score Fletcher and O'Brien followed with a double to bring in Sierra.  The Rangers lead was now 6-2.

The Orioles would battle back in the bottom of the fifth with one of THOSE kind of innings.  Terry Kennedy led off the inning with a solo home run - it was the Birds' first hit since Murray's home run in the first.  After Rick Schu followed with a groundout Pete Stanicek walked and stole second during Bill Ripken's at bat.  When Bill singled Stanicek moved up to third,  Fred Lynn then hit a ground ball to Beuchele that he couldn't handle although he kept the ball in front of him so Stanicek couldn't score.  But the bases were now loaded with Cal Ripken at the plate.  Guzman's third pitch to Cal went to the backstop and Stanicek scored the Birds' fourth run with the other baserunners moving up also.  Cal then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in his brother with another run, cutting the Rangers' lead back to only one run.  Murray then flew out to end the inning.  The Orioles had scored three runs on two hits, a walk and error.

Unfortunately for Baltimore that was as close as they would get.  The Rangers picked up two more runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Sierra and an RBI double by Incaviligia.  The Orioles on the other hand only got one more hit the rest of the game - a single by Larry Sheets in the eighth - although they got two baserunners on walks in the seventh.  The final score was 8-5 - only two of the Orioles five runs were earned.