Saturday July 30 vs the Royals

Opponent: Kansas City Royals
Outcome: L
Score: 7-8
Streak: L2
Record: 32-70
Rank: 7th
GB: 28.5

This was a game of lost opportunities for the Orioles.  They got 11 hits on the night and additionally got 11 walks but ended up leaving 15 men on base.  They took an early lead in the first inning when with one out Brady Anderson (making his Oriole debut after being acquired from the Red Sox in the Mike Boddicker trade the day before) doubled.  Cal Ripken singled to score him and moved to second on the throw home.  Ripken then scored on a single by Eddie Murray.  After Mickey Tettleton flew out for the second out singles from Jim Traber and Ken Gerhart loaded the bases.  Rick Schu flew out though to end the inning.

George Brett led off the second with a solo home run to cut the Orioles lead in half.  But in the bottom of the second the Orioles got another run when Royals starter Israel Sanchez pretty much lost the strike zone.  He walked Bill Ripken and Pete Stanicek to start the inning.  Anderson put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up.  Sanchez then intentionally walked Cal Ripken to load the bases and after Murray flew out for the second out he then walked Tettleton to force in a run.  Jim Traber struck out though to end the inning and leave the bases loaded for the second straight inning.

The Royals tied the game up in the fourth when Frank White homered to lead off the inning and Willie Wilson had an RBI single later in the inning.  The Orioles got two base runners in the bottom of the inning on a hit-by-pitch and an intentional walk but they weren't able to get a run out of it.  The Royals took the lead in the fifth on a three run home run by Danny Tartabull.  In the bottom of the inning the Orioles again got two runners on base with a walk and single with only one out but Bill Ripken grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Birds cut the lead to 6-5 on a two run home run by Murray in the sixth but the Royals put up another pair of runs in the seventh.  With two outs White doubled and scored on a single by Tartabull (who advanced to second when the Orioles threw to the plate to try to catch White).  Tartabull then scored on a single by Pat Tabler.

The Orioles again got the bases loaded without a hit in the seventh inning.  Walks to Joe Orsulak, Schu and Stanicek loaded them up with only one out but Anderson struck out and Cal Ripken flew out to leave the bases loaded for a third time in the game.  They got a couple guys on in the bottom o the eighth as well but could not score them.  In fact the Orioles were only retired in order once during the game - in the bottom of the third. 

The Orioles made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth.  Larry Sheets led off with a double and two batters later Cal hit a two run home run to pull the Orioles within one run.  But Eddie Murray grounded out to end the game.