Tuesday September 6 vs the Red Sox

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Outcome: L
Score: 6-1
Streak: L2
Record: 48-89
Rank: 7th
GB: 28.5

Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett had been a bit a thorn in the side of the Orioles this season.  It wasn't that he hit a bunch of home runs against them or anything - it was just that he seemed to outsmart them all season with odd little plays.  The big ones were the straight steal of home off Jeff Ballard back on June 16th and pulling the hidden ball trick on Jim Traber in yesterday's game.  And then there was tonight.  With one out in the first inning Barrett hit a single off of Orioles starter Jay Tibbs.  With a 3-2 count on Dwight Evans at the plate, Barrett broke for second.  Evans swung at the pitch, striking out and O's catcher Terry Kennedy threw to Bill Ripken covering at second to try to catch Barrett.  The throw beat Barrett to the bag but Barrett stopped his slide just short of the bag so Ripken's tag missed him.  Barrett then popped up and stuck out his foot out onto the base.  Safe!

I'm not sure I'm doing this slide justice so here's the video:



Barrett being on second put him in position to score when Mike Greenwell followed with a single.  Ellis Burks hit another single to move Greenwell to third where he scored when Todd Benzinger hit Boston's fourth single of the inning.  The Sox were up 2-0 after one.

Barrett factored in Boston's scoring in the second inning as well albeit in a more conventional way.  The Red Sox loaded the bases with nobody out on a pair of singles by Jody Reed and Rich Gedman and a ground ball from Wade Boggs that Cal Ripken misplayed at shortstop for an error.  Barrett lofted a sacrifice fly to left that brought Reed in with Boston's third run of the evening.

The Orioles got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly of their own off the bat of Cal Ripken.  But a two run home run from Greenwell in the top of the fifth made if 5-1 Red Sox and they got their sixth run in the sixth on an RBI single from Evans.  Meanwhile Wes Gardner was holding the Orioles to just the one run on five hits and two walks over nine innings, throwing a complete game en route to the victory.

Once again I was at the game.  Here's the clippings from Wednesday's Evening Sun: