Game 1
Outcome: W
Score: 4-3
Streak: W1
Record: 43-82
Rank: 7th
GB: 29
Game 2
Outcome: W
Score: 4-3
Streak: W2
Record: 44-82
Rank: 7th
GB: 29
I'm not sure when I first starting hearing it but at some point this summer the PA system at Memorial Stadium had started playing "Good Times" by the Hoodoo Gurus.
The song is about a guy trying to get back together with his ex-girl friend which has nothing to do with the 1988 Orioles. But the chorus was very appropriate:
All the good times we had we'll have again.Some good times were had tonight - the Orioles swept a double header from the Mariners and they won each game by a score of 4-3. What's more both victories were of the walk-off variety.
It wasn't looking very promising for the Orioles in the opener. Going into the bottom of the seventh the Mariners had built a 3-0 lead on a solo home run by Henry Cotto in the third, an RBI double play grounder by Rey Quinones in the fourth and a suicide squeeze bunt by Cotto in the seventh. Mark Langston was on the mound for Seattle and he had held the Orioles to only two hits over the first six innings.
The Birds finally broke through against Langston in the bottom of the seventh. Cal Ripken led off with a single and Eddie Murray followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Mickey Tettleton knocked in Ripken with an RBI single. Murray moved to third on the play which allowed him to score on Fred Lynn's sacrifice fly. The Orioles had cut the Mariner lead to just one run. But Langston was able to get out of trouble by striking out Ken Gerhart and getting Jim Traber to fly out to end the inning.
The Orioles threatened in the bottom of the eighth. Rene Gonzales singled to start the frame and two batters later Bill Ripken singled, moving Gonzales all the way to third. After only giving up two hits in the first six innings Langston had now given up five in an inning and a third and with the meat of the Orioles lineup coming up Mariners manager Jim Snyder decided it would be best to go to his bullpen. Mike Jackson came in and struck out Cal Ripken for the second out although Bill Ripken stole second on strike three. With first base open the Mariners elected to walk Murray to load the bases. Jackson then got Tettleton to fly out to end the threat and preserve the Mariners one run lead.
Lynn singled to start the bottom of the ninth which kicked off a flurry of replacement activity. Brady Anderson came in to run for Lynn and Jim Dwyer came in to pinch hit for Gerhart. On the Seattle side Mike Schooler came in to relieve Jackson. Dwyer flew out for the first out of the inning. With Traber at the plate Anderson stole second and then went to third on Traber's ground out. With the tying run on third Orioles manager Frank Robinson sent up Larry Sheets to pinch hit for Gonzales. Sheets came through with a two run home run to win the game 4-3.
The nightcap was more of the same. The Orioles got on the board first in their half of the first inning on a Cal Ripken sacrifice fly but the Mariners scored two in the second on an RBI single from Jim Presley. A Joe Orsulak solo home run in the fifth tied the game at two and that's how it stayed until the ninth.
The Mariners took the lead 3-2 in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Mario Diaz but the Orioles tied it back up in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run from Murray.
The game rolled on into extra innings. The Mariners got a couple runners on on walks in the top of the tenth but failed to score while the Birds got a couple runners on in the eleventh and also failed to score.
Sheets walked to lead off the bottom of the twelfth inning and Gerhart came in to run for him. Terry Kennedy followed with a single and Gonzales laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Dwyer pinch hit for Bill Ripken and was walked intentionally by Jackson who had just come into relieve Rod Scurry one batter earlier. That loaded the bases with one out for Orsulak who lofted a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Gerhart with the winning run.
No comments:
Post a Comment