Friday August 26 at the Athletics

Opponent: Oakland Athletics
Outcome: L
Score: 5-8
Streak: L1
Record: 44-83
Rank: 7th
GB: 30

After three games against the team with the second worst record in the American League the Orioles traveled to Oakland for three games against the team with the best record in all of baseball (79-49).  The Birds got on the board first though.  With one out in the fourth inning Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray hit back-to-back singles and moved up on a passed ball with Larry Sheets at the plate.  Sheets singled to left, scoring Cal and when left fielder Luis Polonia misplayed the ball Murray was able to score as well.  Jim Traber followed with a two run home run and all of a sudden the Orioles had a 4-0 lead.

The lead only lasted for a couple innings.  In their half of the fourth the A's cut the lead in half on a solo home run from Dave Henderson and an RBI single from Mark McGwire.  In the sixth a two run home run from Jose Canseco tied the game at four.  Later in the inning Glenn Hubbard hit a single with the bases loaded that scored two runners and made the score 6-4.

The Orioles cut the lead to one run in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by Terry Kennedy.  In the bottom of the inning Oakland got three consecutive singles to start the inning from Polonia, Henderson and Canseco although Polonia was thrown out at third trying to advance on Henderson's single.  Dave Parker hit a ground ball to Murray at first who threw to Cal Ripken covering second for the force out on Canseco but Cal made an error on the throw to first attempting to get Parker for an inning ending double play.  Instead Henderson scored and Parker was safe at first.  Next McGwire walked and Carney Lansford lined a double to left, scoring Parker.  Cal made up for his earlier error though by relaying Sheet's throw from left to nail McGwire at the plate.  But Oakland was now up 8-5 and that was how it ended.

With two outs in the top of the ninth and a runner on first Jim Dwyer pinch hit for Rene Gonzales.  He struck out to end the game.  This would be his last at bat in an Oriole uniform.