Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 1-6
Streak: L1
Record: 31-66
Rank: 7th
GB: 25
We didn't know it at the time but this was Mike Boddicker's last appearance as an Oriole and it didn't go well. The Twins jumped on him for three runs in the bottom of the second. Gary Gaetti doubled to lead off and Gene Larkin followed with a single. Larkin moved to second when Ken Gerhart threw home to keep Gaetti from scoring. After Brian Harper popped out for the first out, John Moses hit a ground ball to Eddie Murray at first who threw the ball away when throwing home to try to keep Gaetti from scoring. Not only did Gaetti score but Larkin did as well and Moses ended up at second. Steve Lombardozzi popped out to Murray in foul territory for the second out but Moses was able to tag up and move to third which allowed him to score on Al Newman's single.
The Orioles didn't get on the board until the seventh when Bill Ripken had an RBI single that brought in Rick Schu. The Twins put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth though when Randy Bush hit a three run home run (his second against the Birds in as many days). Boddicker ended up taking the loss, making his final record for the 1988 Orioles 6-12.
Showing posts with label Twins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twins. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Monday, July 23, 2018
Saturday May 23 at the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: W
Score: 11-8
Streak: W1
Record: 31-65
Rank: 7th
GB: 25
It was a wild one tonight at the Metrodome but if you got there late you missed all the fun. The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on an Eddie Murray two run home run.
The Twins came back though with three of their own. Dan Gladden lead off with a single and stole second before scoring on Randy Bush's double. Kirby Puckett followed with a single (moving Bush to third) and then he stole second as well. Kent Hrbek grounded out to second for the first out of the game for the Twins but the runners advanced with Bush tying the game. A Gary Gaetti single brought in Puckett with the Twins' third run. The Orioles caught a break though when Gaetti was thrown out trying for the Twins' third stolen base of the inning before Tim Laudner lined out to end the inning.
The Twins' lead was short lived. The Orioles got back to back walks to Jim Traber and Mickey Tettleton to start the second. After Ken Gerhart struck out Rick Schu singled bringing Traber in with the tying run and moving Tettleton to third. Schu was thrown out trying to steal for the second out of the inning, a decision that would prove costly as Joe Orsulak tripled to put the Birds up 4-3. A Bill Ripken single brought Orsulak in with another run and after Cal Ripken walked, Twins manager Tom Kelly had seen enough from Bert Blyleven and went to the bullpen. Eddie Murray greeted Mark Portugal with a three run home run (his second round tripper of the game) though and the Birds now lead 8-3. Larry Sheets followed with a single before Traber grounded out to end the inning.
The Twins cut into the Orioles lead in the third inning when Bush hit a two run home run. But the Orioles came back with three in the next inning. With one out, Murray walked, went to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by Sheets. Traber followed with a two run home run to make it 11-5 Orioles.
The Twins kept it interesting in the bottom of the fourth. With one out they loaded the bases on a Laudner single and back to back walks to Greg Gagne and Al Newman. Orioles manager Frank Robinson went to the bullpen and brought Mike Morgan in to relieve starter Oswaldo Peraza but Morgan issued the third consecutive walk of the inning to Gladden to force in a run. He then gave up a two RBI single to Bush (who ended up with five RBI in the game) to bring the score to 11-8. But Morgan settled down and struck out Puckett and got Hrbek to line out to end the inning with no further damage.
And that was that for the evening. Neither team scored over the remaining five innings. The Orioles mounted a couple of threats but ended up leaving 7 men on base. The Twins on the other hand were held to only four baserunners the rest of the game on one hit, two walks and an error.
Outcome: W
Score: 11-8
Streak: W1
Record: 31-65
Rank: 7th
GB: 25
It was a wild one tonight at the Metrodome but if you got there late you missed all the fun. The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on an Eddie Murray two run home run.
The Twins came back though with three of their own. Dan Gladden lead off with a single and stole second before scoring on Randy Bush's double. Kirby Puckett followed with a single (moving Bush to third) and then he stole second as well. Kent Hrbek grounded out to second for the first out of the game for the Twins but the runners advanced with Bush tying the game. A Gary Gaetti single brought in Puckett with the Twins' third run. The Orioles caught a break though when Gaetti was thrown out trying for the Twins' third stolen base of the inning before Tim Laudner lined out to end the inning.
The Twins' lead was short lived. The Orioles got back to back walks to Jim Traber and Mickey Tettleton to start the second. After Ken Gerhart struck out Rick Schu singled bringing Traber in with the tying run and moving Tettleton to third. Schu was thrown out trying to steal for the second out of the inning, a decision that would prove costly as Joe Orsulak tripled to put the Birds up 4-3. A Bill Ripken single brought Orsulak in with another run and after Cal Ripken walked, Twins manager Tom Kelly had seen enough from Bert Blyleven and went to the bullpen. Eddie Murray greeted Mark Portugal with a three run home run (his second round tripper of the game) though and the Birds now lead 8-3. Larry Sheets followed with a single before Traber grounded out to end the inning.
The Twins cut into the Orioles lead in the third inning when Bush hit a two run home run. But the Orioles came back with three in the next inning. With one out, Murray walked, went to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by Sheets. Traber followed with a two run home run to make it 11-5 Orioles.
The Twins kept it interesting in the bottom of the fourth. With one out they loaded the bases on a Laudner single and back to back walks to Greg Gagne and Al Newman. Orioles manager Frank Robinson went to the bullpen and brought Mike Morgan in to relieve starter Oswaldo Peraza but Morgan issued the third consecutive walk of the inning to Gladden to force in a run. He then gave up a two RBI single to Bush (who ended up with five RBI in the game) to bring the score to 11-8. But Morgan settled down and struck out Puckett and got Hrbek to line out to end the inning with no further damage.
And that was that for the evening. Neither team scored over the remaining five innings. The Orioles mounted a couple of threats but ended up leaving 7 men on base. The Twins on the other hand were held to only four baserunners the rest of the game on one hit, two walks and an error.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Friday July 22 at the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 1-6
Streak: L2
Record: 30-65
Rank: 7th
GB: 26
Tonight Minnesota starter Frank Viola stymied the Birds for eight innings. They kept getting guys on and kept leaving them on. They got five hits off Viola as well as three walks but they ended up with 7 runners left on base and an 0 for 7 with Runners In Scoring Position. Probably the worst was the top of the third when they got two runners on with no one out and failed to score. They finally got on the board when Juan Berenguer came in to pitch the ninth and gave up a solo home run to Larry Sheets.
Meanwhile the Twins batters weren't having too many issues with the Orioles pitching. They scored three runs in the second on an RBI single by Al Newman and an RBI double by Dan Gladden. They picked up another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Gary Gaetti and their final runs scored on a two run home run by Kirby Puckett in the seventh.
Outcome: L
Score: 1-6
Streak: L2
Record: 30-65
Rank: 7th
GB: 26
Tonight Minnesota starter Frank Viola stymied the Birds for eight innings. They kept getting guys on and kept leaving them on. They got five hits off Viola as well as three walks but they ended up with 7 runners left on base and an 0 for 7 with Runners In Scoring Position. Probably the worst was the top of the third when they got two runners on with no one out and failed to score. They finally got on the board when Juan Berenguer came in to pitch the ninth and gave up a solo home run to Larry Sheets.
Meanwhile the Twins batters weren't having too many issues with the Orioles pitching. They scored three runs in the second on an RBI single by Al Newman and an RBI double by Dan Gladden. They picked up another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Gary Gaetti and their final runs scored on a two run home run by Kirby Puckett in the seventh.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Sunday July 17 vs the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 2-7
Streak: L4
Record: 29-63
Rank: 7th
GB: 25.5
The long balls kept coming in this game, at least for the Twins. Gene Larkin hit a solo home run in the second inning to start things off and Greg Gagne added a two run shot in the third inning to run the score to 3-0. When Kirby Puckett hit a two run shot in the fifth for the Twins' third home run of the day and sixth of the last two games the score was now 5-0.
The Orioles got a threat going in the bottom of the fifth when they loaded the bases with no outs on a Larry Sheets single, a Rick Schu walk and a Bill Ripken single. But Pete Stanicek grounded into a double play although Sheets did come in for the Orioles' first run. Cal Ripken hit a single to bring in Schu for the second run of the inning before Twins starter Frank Viola got Eddie Murray to fly out to end the inning.
The Twins added two more runs in the sixth without the benefit of a home run - the first time they'd done that since Friday night. Al Newman and Dan Gladden started the inning with back to back singles and after being moved up by a Gagne sacrifice bunt both came in to score on a Randy Bush RBI single. That made the score 7-2 which was how it ended.
Outcome: L
Score: 2-7
Streak: L4
Record: 29-63
Rank: 7th
GB: 25.5
The long balls kept coming in this game, at least for the Twins. Gene Larkin hit a solo home run in the second inning to start things off and Greg Gagne added a two run shot in the third inning to run the score to 3-0. When Kirby Puckett hit a two run shot in the fifth for the Twins' third home run of the day and sixth of the last two games the score was now 5-0.
The Orioles got a threat going in the bottom of the fifth when they loaded the bases with no outs on a Larry Sheets single, a Rick Schu walk and a Bill Ripken single. But Pete Stanicek grounded into a double play although Sheets did come in for the Orioles' first run. Cal Ripken hit a single to bring in Schu for the second run of the inning before Twins starter Frank Viola got Eddie Murray to fly out to end the inning.
The Twins added two more runs in the sixth without the benefit of a home run - the first time they'd done that since Friday night. Al Newman and Dan Gladden started the inning with back to back singles and after being moved up by a Gagne sacrifice bunt both came in to score on a Randy Bush RBI single. That made the score 7-2 which was how it ended.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Saturday July 16 vs the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 3-4
Streak: L3
Record: 29-62
Rank: 7th
GB: 25.5
Tonight almost all the runs were scored on home runs - three by the Twins and two by the Orioles. The Twins kicked things off with a two run home run from Kirby Puckett in the top of the first. Greg Gagne and Gary Gaetti hit solo home runs to lead off the fifth and sixth innings respectively to run the Twins lead to 4-0. The Orioles got into the spirit of the night with a solo home run from Ken Gerhart in the bottom of the sixth and Mickey Tettleton added another one in the seventh. The final run of the game was scored on an RBI single from Cal Ripken in the eighth that scored Gerhart.
Outcome: L
Score: 3-4
Streak: L3
Record: 29-62
Rank: 7th
GB: 25.5
Tonight almost all the runs were scored on home runs - three by the Twins and two by the Orioles. The Twins kicked things off with a two run home run from Kirby Puckett in the top of the first. Greg Gagne and Gary Gaetti hit solo home runs to lead off the fifth and sixth innings respectively to run the Twins lead to 4-0. The Orioles got into the spirit of the night with a solo home run from Ken Gerhart in the bottom of the sixth and Mickey Tettleton added another one in the seventh. The final run of the game was scored on an RBI single from Cal Ripken in the eighth that scored Gerhart.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Friday July 15 vs the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 2-4
Streak: L2
Record: 29-61
Rank: 7th
GB: 24.5
In a turnabout from their games against the Rangers the previous weekend, tonight the Orioles out hit the Twins 9 to 6 but ended up on the short end of the stick when it came to runs. The Twins jumped on top of the Birds early with a two run home run by Gary Gaetti in the first inning. They added two more in the top of the second when they loaded the bases with one out and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Dan Gladden and an RBI single from Mark Davidson.
The Orioles picked up a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Bill Ripken. They added an additional run on a solo home run from Rick Schu in the seventh but that was all they got. Orioles starter Jeff Ballard ended up with a complete game loss although he pitched pretty well after the first two innings - he only gave up two hits and no walks over the last seven innings.
The fact that half the runs scored on home runs tonight should be viewed as foreshadowing for the next two games.
Outcome: L
Score: 2-4
Streak: L2
Record: 29-61
Rank: 7th
GB: 24.5
In a turnabout from their games against the Rangers the previous weekend, tonight the Orioles out hit the Twins 9 to 6 but ended up on the short end of the stick when it came to runs. The Twins jumped on top of the Birds early with a two run home run by Gary Gaetti in the first inning. They added two more in the top of the second when they loaded the bases with one out and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Dan Gladden and an RBI single from Mark Davidson.
The Orioles picked up a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Bill Ripken. They added an additional run on a solo home run from Rick Schu in the seventh but that was all they got. Orioles starter Jeff Ballard ended up with a complete game loss although he pitched pretty well after the first two innings - he only gave up two hits and no walks over the last seven innings.
The fact that half the runs scored on home runs tonight should be viewed as foreshadowing for the next two games.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Thursday July 14 vs the Twins (2)
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Game 1
Outcome: W
Score: 7-1
Streak: W3
Record: 29-59
Rank: 7th
GB: 24.5
Game 1
Outcome: W
Score: 7-1
Streak: W3
Record: 29-59
Rank: 7th
GB: 24.5
Game 2
Outcome: L
Score: 2-8
Streak: L1
Record: 29-60
Rank: 7th
GB: 24.5
The Orioles kicked off the post All Star break portion of the season with a twi-night double header against the Twins. One of these games was the makeup of the May 5th game that had been rained out. Since it was Thursday, it was "Three Buck Night" and since it was "Three Buck Night", I was at the ballpark this night. I was accompanied this evening by my friends Steve and Chris who had driven down from Delaware. Unlike the last "Three Buck Night" double header I went to, I got to the ballpark in time to see all of both games.
And of course since I was there that night Mike Boddicker was on the mound for the Birds in the first game - this was his eighth home start of the season and the sixth one I had attended. It would turn out to be the last time I saw him pitch for the Orioles but obviously I didn't know that yet.
Boddicker pitched a very good game that night although it started out a little shakey. Mark Davidson and Randy Bush had back-to-back singles to start the game and Kirby Puckett followed with an RBI groundout that brought Davidson in from third. But after a walk to Kent Hrbek Boddicker settled down and got out of the inning.
The Orioles got him off the hook in the bottom of the inning. Ken Gerhart singled to lead off and Fred Lynn followed with a two run home run off of Twins starter Bert Blyleven. Two batters later Eddie Murray teed off on Blyleven for a solo home run. 3-1 Orioles.
The Orioles added two more runs in the next two innings. Cal Ripken had a sacrifice fly in the second inning and Murray led off the third with his second home run of the game. Not to be outdone, Lynn hit his second home run of the game in the fourth inning - another two run shot that again brought in Gerhart. That made the score 7-1 in favor of the Birds.
And that's the way it finished. Boddicker allowed just four more hits the rest of the game along with four walks. The Twins made it interesting in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with only one out and the top of the lineup coming up but Boddicker struck out Davidson and got Bush to fly out to end the threat. Boddicker ended up throwing a complete game for the victory, his first one at home all season.
The nightcap didn't go as well for the Birds. The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Dan Gladden but the Orioles tied it up in their half of the inning on a Bill Ripken sacrifice fly. A solo home run by Mickey Tettleton put the O's up 2-1 in the fourth inning but that lead was short lived.
Al Newman led off the top of the fifth with a single and John Moses followed with a double. Greg Gagne flew out for the first out but Orioles starter Jay Tibbs hit Gladden with a pitch to load the bases. Tibbs got Hrbek to strike out but then gave up a bases clearing triple to Gene Larkin to put the Twins up 4-2. Bush was intentionally walked to set up a force play at second but Tibbs threw a wild pitch while pitching to Brian Harper which moved Bush to second (although Larkin remained at third). Harper then doubled to bring in both Larkin and Bush. Orioles manager Frank Robinson went to the bullpen and replaced Tibbs with John Habyan who promptly gave up another RBI double, this time to Steve Lombardozzi before getting Newman (who had started all this with a single) to ground out to end the inning. The Twins sent ten men to the plate and scored six runs on five hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
The Twins added another run in the seventh inning on a second RBI double for Harper. Meanwhile Allan Anderson was mowing down the Orioles, holding them to only two hits and a walk over his last four innings of work before giving way to Juan Berenguer who pitched a perfect ninth for the Twins. Final score was 8-2 and the Birds three game win streak (tied for their longest of the season so far) was over.
In other baseball news this day, the Red Sox fired manager John McNamara. The Red Sox had been expected to contend this season but entered today with a record of 43-42, tied for fourth with the Brewers nine games behind the front running Tigers in the AL East. McNamara had managed the Red Sox since 1985, taking them to World Series and one pitch away from a Championship in 1986. He was replaced on an interim basis by third base coach Joe Morgan, who is not the Joe Morgan that you're probably thinking of. The interim label didn't last long - the Red Sox won their first 12 games under Morgan and 19 of their first 20 under him to catapult into a first place tie with Tigers on August 3rd. It was dubbed "Morgan Magic" and earned him the "permanent" job.
There's one other thing about this night I want to mention. At some point during the game my friend Steve mentioned that he'd met a woman that he thought I should meet. Her name was Sabra and she was into a lot of the same music that I was into and knew her way around a baseball game. He promised to introduce us at some point.
Here's the game stories from the next day's Evening Sun. There's a lot of talk in the article about Frank Robinson's ailing back. I've been trying to determine if he missed any more games due to his back this season and I've not been able to confirm it so far.
Outcome: L
Score: 2-8
Streak: L1
Record: 29-60
Rank: 7th
GB: 24.5
The Orioles kicked off the post All Star break portion of the season with a twi-night double header against the Twins. One of these games was the makeup of the May 5th game that had been rained out. Since it was Thursday, it was "Three Buck Night" and since it was "Three Buck Night", I was at the ballpark this night. I was accompanied this evening by my friends Steve and Chris who had driven down from Delaware. Unlike the last "Three Buck Night" double header I went to, I got to the ballpark in time to see all of both games.
And of course since I was there that night Mike Boddicker was on the mound for the Birds in the first game - this was his eighth home start of the season and the sixth one I had attended. It would turn out to be the last time I saw him pitch for the Orioles but obviously I didn't know that yet.
Boddicker pitched a very good game that night although it started out a little shakey. Mark Davidson and Randy Bush had back-to-back singles to start the game and Kirby Puckett followed with an RBI groundout that brought Davidson in from third. But after a walk to Kent Hrbek Boddicker settled down and got out of the inning.
The Orioles got him off the hook in the bottom of the inning. Ken Gerhart singled to lead off and Fred Lynn followed with a two run home run off of Twins starter Bert Blyleven. Two batters later Eddie Murray teed off on Blyleven for a solo home run. 3-1 Orioles.
The Orioles added two more runs in the next two innings. Cal Ripken had a sacrifice fly in the second inning and Murray led off the third with his second home run of the game. Not to be outdone, Lynn hit his second home run of the game in the fourth inning - another two run shot that again brought in Gerhart. That made the score 7-1 in favor of the Birds.
And that's the way it finished. Boddicker allowed just four more hits the rest of the game along with four walks. The Twins made it interesting in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with only one out and the top of the lineup coming up but Boddicker struck out Davidson and got Bush to fly out to end the threat. Boddicker ended up throwing a complete game for the victory, his first one at home all season.
The nightcap didn't go as well for the Birds. The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Dan Gladden but the Orioles tied it up in their half of the inning on a Bill Ripken sacrifice fly. A solo home run by Mickey Tettleton put the O's up 2-1 in the fourth inning but that lead was short lived.
Al Newman led off the top of the fifth with a single and John Moses followed with a double. Greg Gagne flew out for the first out but Orioles starter Jay Tibbs hit Gladden with a pitch to load the bases. Tibbs got Hrbek to strike out but then gave up a bases clearing triple to Gene Larkin to put the Twins up 4-2. Bush was intentionally walked to set up a force play at second but Tibbs threw a wild pitch while pitching to Brian Harper which moved Bush to second (although Larkin remained at third). Harper then doubled to bring in both Larkin and Bush. Orioles manager Frank Robinson went to the bullpen and replaced Tibbs with John Habyan who promptly gave up another RBI double, this time to Steve Lombardozzi before getting Newman (who had started all this with a single) to ground out to end the inning. The Twins sent ten men to the plate and scored six runs on five hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
The Twins added another run in the seventh inning on a second RBI double for Harper. Meanwhile Allan Anderson was mowing down the Orioles, holding them to only two hits and a walk over his last four innings of work before giving way to Juan Berenguer who pitched a perfect ninth for the Twins. Final score was 8-2 and the Birds three game win streak (tied for their longest of the season so far) was over.
In other baseball news this day, the Red Sox fired manager John McNamara. The Red Sox had been expected to contend this season but entered today with a record of 43-42, tied for fourth with the Brewers nine games behind the front running Tigers in the AL East. McNamara had managed the Red Sox since 1985, taking them to World Series and one pitch away from a Championship in 1986. He was replaced on an interim basis by third base coach Joe Morgan, who is not the Joe Morgan that you're probably thinking of. The interim label didn't last long - the Red Sox won their first 12 games under Morgan and 19 of their first 20 under him to catapult into a first place tie with Tigers on August 3rd. It was dubbed "Morgan Magic" and earned him the "permanent" job.
There's one other thing about this night I want to mention. At some point during the game my friend Steve mentioned that he'd met a woman that he thought I should meet. Her name was Sabra and she was into a lot of the same music that I was into and knew her way around a baseball game. He promised to introduce us at some point.
Here's the game stories from the next day's Evening Sun. There's a lot of talk in the article about Frank Robinson's ailing back. I've been trying to determine if he missed any more games due to his back this season and I've not been able to confirm it so far.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
May 5 vs the Twins - Rained Out
The Orioles game against the Twins on May 5th was rained out. It would be made up as part of double-header on July 14th. This was the second of four "Three Buck Nights" that had been rained out this year so far.
Friday, May 4, 2018
May 4 vs the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: W
Score: 4-3
Streak: W1
Record: 3-24
Rank: 7th
GB: 16
This was a game with both highs and lows for the O's. The Twins got on the board first in the top of fourth when Kent Hrbek hit a solo home run. It was his fifth home run of the season and so far all of them had been against the Orioles. Baltimore tied it up in the bottom of the inning however when Bill Ripken scored on a Les Straker wild pitch. A Cal Ripken RBI single in the bottom of the sixth put the Birds up 2-1 and it stayed that way until the top of the ninth. Doug Sisk, who had come on into the game in relief of starter Mark Williamson, was in line for the save but the Twins had other ideas. Hrbek led off the inning with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Mark Davidson. Gary Gaetti hit a double to put runners on second and third and then a sacrifice fly by Gene Larkin brought Davidson in with the tying run. After an intentional walk to Randy Bush, Greg Gagne hit a single that scored Gaetti with the go-ahead run. Dave Schmidt relieved Sisk and got the last two outs.
Jeff Reardon, the Twins closer, came on in the bottom of the ninth to try for the save but Cal Ripken led off the inning with a double. After a groundout by Eddie Murray moved Cal to third Larry Sheets hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game back up. On the game went until the bottom of the 11th. With one out, Cal Ripken reached on a walk. Two batters later he scored the winning run on a double by Sheets. The Orioles had their third win of the season (and their first in walk-off fashion).
Outcome: W
Score: 4-3
Streak: W1
Record: 3-24
Rank: 7th
GB: 16
This was a game with both highs and lows for the O's. The Twins got on the board first in the top of fourth when Kent Hrbek hit a solo home run. It was his fifth home run of the season and so far all of them had been against the Orioles. Baltimore tied it up in the bottom of the inning however when Bill Ripken scored on a Les Straker wild pitch. A Cal Ripken RBI single in the bottom of the sixth put the Birds up 2-1 and it stayed that way until the top of the ninth. Doug Sisk, who had come on into the game in relief of starter Mark Williamson, was in line for the save but the Twins had other ideas. Hrbek led off the inning with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Mark Davidson. Gary Gaetti hit a double to put runners on second and third and then a sacrifice fly by Gene Larkin brought Davidson in with the tying run. After an intentional walk to Randy Bush, Greg Gagne hit a single that scored Gaetti with the go-ahead run. Dave Schmidt relieved Sisk and got the last two outs.
Jeff Reardon, the Twins closer, came on in the bottom of the ninth to try for the save but Cal Ripken led off the inning with a double. After a groundout by Eddie Murray moved Cal to third Larry Sheets hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game back up. On the game went until the bottom of the 11th. With one out, Cal Ripken reached on a walk. Two batters later he scored the winning run on a double by Sheets. The Orioles had their third win of the season (and their first in walk-off fashion).
Saturday, April 28, 2018
April 28 at the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 2-4
Streak: L21
Record: 0-21
Rank: 7th
GB: 16.0
For the third game in a row the Orioles took the lead in the first inning but couldn't hold it. In this game the Orioles took a 1-0 lead when an Eddie Murray groundout brought in Tito Landrum who had led off the game with a single. The Twins went ahead in the bottom of the fourth - Kirby Puckett led off the inning with a walk and then Kent Hrbek hit a two run home run. It was Hrbek's fourth home run in the three game series against the Orioles. The Twins scored two more in the bottom of the sixth when a John Moses double brought in Gene Larkin and Randy Bush. Oddly enough the hit by Moses was the only hit of the inning - Larkin had reached by being hit by a pitch and Bush was walked. The Orioles followed this oddity up in the top of the seventh by scoring a run without getting a hit at all. After leadoff hitter Larry Sheets walked and Carl Nichols struck out, the Twins went to their bullpen and replaced starter Allan Anderson with Mike Mason. Mason walked the next two batters - Craig Worthington and Keith Hughes - to load the bases and then walked Tito Landrum to bring in Sheets. The Twins went to their bullpen again and brought in Mark Portugal, their first non-alliteratively named pitcher on the day. Portugal struck out pinch hitter Fred Lynn and then got Cal Ripken to fly out to end the inning. Ripken would be the only one of the seven batters the Orioles sent up in the inning to put a ball into play. That ended the scoring for the day although both teams mounted threats of varying degrees in each of their remaining at bats.
Hrbek had come into the series with the Orioles hitting .222 with no home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored in 15 games. He went 7 for 15 in the three game series with two doubles, four home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored, raising his average to .292.
With the streak at 21 the Orioles now had the record for most consecutive losses ever by an American League team. They were now just two losses behind the 1961 Phillies for longest losing streak in modern (since 1900) baseball history.
Outcome: L
Score: 2-4
Streak: L21
Record: 0-21
Rank: 7th
GB: 16.0
For the third game in a row the Orioles took the lead in the first inning but couldn't hold it. In this game the Orioles took a 1-0 lead when an Eddie Murray groundout brought in Tito Landrum who had led off the game with a single. The Twins went ahead in the bottom of the fourth - Kirby Puckett led off the inning with a walk and then Kent Hrbek hit a two run home run. It was Hrbek's fourth home run in the three game series against the Orioles. The Twins scored two more in the bottom of the sixth when a John Moses double brought in Gene Larkin and Randy Bush. Oddly enough the hit by Moses was the only hit of the inning - Larkin had reached by being hit by a pitch and Bush was walked. The Orioles followed this oddity up in the top of the seventh by scoring a run without getting a hit at all. After leadoff hitter Larry Sheets walked and Carl Nichols struck out, the Twins went to their bullpen and replaced starter Allan Anderson with Mike Mason. Mason walked the next two batters - Craig Worthington and Keith Hughes - to load the bases and then walked Tito Landrum to bring in Sheets. The Twins went to their bullpen again and brought in Mark Portugal, their first non-alliteratively named pitcher on the day. Portugal struck out pinch hitter Fred Lynn and then got Cal Ripken to fly out to end the inning. Ripken would be the only one of the seven batters the Orioles sent up in the inning to put a ball into play. That ended the scoring for the day although both teams mounted threats of varying degrees in each of their remaining at bats.
Hrbek had come into the series with the Orioles hitting .222 with no home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored in 15 games. He went 7 for 15 in the three game series with two doubles, four home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored, raising his average to .292.
With the streak at 21 the Orioles now had the record for most consecutive losses ever by an American League team. They were now just two losses behind the 1961 Phillies for longest losing streak in modern (since 1900) baseball history.
Friday, April 27, 2018
April 27 at the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 6-7
Streak: L20
Record: 0-20
Rank: 7th
GB: 16.0
Outcome: L
Score: 6-7
Streak: L20
Record: 0-20
Rank: 7th
GB: 16.0
Another would-a, should-a, could-a game. The Orioles exploded for three runs in the top of the first off of Bert Blyleven. Jeff Stone walked to lead off the game and the Ripken brothers hit back to back singles - the latter of which by Cal scoring Stone. After Eddie Murray and Fred Lynn struck out, Larry Sheets walked to load the bases and then Keith Hughes singled to bring in the Ripkens. Terry Kennedy then struck out to end the inning (so Blyleven struck out the side but also gave up three hits and two walks). The Twins got two runs back in the bottom of the first though as Dan Gladden, Tom Herr and Kirby Puckett hit three consecutive singles to lead off (Puckett's single brought Gladden in) and Gary Gaetti's sacrifice fly then brought in Herr. The Orioles got a break when Puckett was thrown out trying to steal second with Kent Hrbek at the plate to end the inning. A Craig Worthington home run leading off the top of the second put the O's up 4-2 but the Twins got a run back in the bottom of the second when Hrbek led off the inning with a double and later scored on a Mark Davidson ground out. The Twins would tie the game up in the bottom of the fourth when Al Newman singled to knock in Tim Laudner. That hit knocked Orioles starter Scott McGregor out of the game - this would be the last appearance of McGregor's career.
Jose Bautista relieved McGregor and he kept the Twins off the board for the next three innings. Bill Scherrer replaced Bautista on the mound in the bottom of the eighth and immediately lost the lead by giving up back-to-back home runs to Hrbek and Laudner. It was Hrbek's third home run in two days against the Orioles. John Moses then walked and moved to second when Scherrer balked while pitching to Newman. Doug Sisk came into relieve Scherrer mid-batter. Newman laid down a bunt up the third baseline which Sisk fielded and then threw away. The error brought Moses in with the third run of the inning but Newman was thrown out trying to make it to third. Sisk got out of the inning without any more damage but the run scoring on the throwing error ended up being costly as the Orioles staged a two out rally in the top of the ninth. Singles by Joe Orsulak, Cal Ripken and Murray with a walk to Bill Ripken sandwiched in between Orsulak and Cal brought the score to 7-6 with the tying run on third before Fred Lynn grounded out to end the game.
With this loss the Orioles had tied the 1906 Red Sox, and 1916 and 1943 Philadelphia Athletics for longest losing streak in American League history.
Jose Bautista relieved McGregor and he kept the Twins off the board for the next three innings. Bill Scherrer replaced Bautista on the mound in the bottom of the eighth and immediately lost the lead by giving up back-to-back home runs to Hrbek and Laudner. It was Hrbek's third home run in two days against the Orioles. John Moses then walked and moved to second when Scherrer balked while pitching to Newman. Doug Sisk came into relieve Scherrer mid-batter. Newman laid down a bunt up the third baseline which Sisk fielded and then threw away. The error brought Moses in with the third run of the inning but Newman was thrown out trying to make it to third. Sisk got out of the inning without any more damage but the run scoring on the throwing error ended up being costly as the Orioles staged a two out rally in the top of the ninth. Singles by Joe Orsulak, Cal Ripken and Murray with a walk to Bill Ripken sandwiched in between Orsulak and Cal brought the score to 7-6 with the tying run on third before Fred Lynn grounded out to end the game.
With this loss the Orioles had tied the 1906 Red Sox, and 1916 and 1943 Philadelphia Athletics for longest losing streak in American League history.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
April 26 at the Twins
Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Outcome: L
Score: 2-4
Streak: L19
Record: 0-19
Rank: 7th
GB: 15.0
Another game where the Orioles lead early but ended up losing. Fred Lynn lead the game off with a home run against Frank Viola and Baltimore extended their lead to 2-0 when Cal Ripken doubled in his brother Bill in the third inning. But Kent Hrbek tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth with a two run home run and Randy Bush followed up with a solo shot three batters later to put the Twins up 3-2. Hrbek hit a second home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to 4-2 which was the final score. These were Hrbek's first two home runs of the season.
One other note about the game - the coaching staff decided to try to loosen the team up by taking batting practice before the game. This included manager Frank Robinson. Robinson had hit 586 home runs during his major league career but he was now 52 years old. "I knew I should not have done it," Robinson told Jane Leavy of the Washington Post a few months later.* "I didn't have the heart, maybe the guts, to say 'no, I can't do it.'" He ended up rupturing a disk in his back "I came up short. Warning-track power. It didn't quite go out. But I knew my back had gone out." He would remain in pain for the rest of the season - so 1988 would end up being physically painful for Frank Robinson as well as professionally.
*The linked article is from the LA Times archive but Leavy is/was with the Washington Post
Here's a video clip from WBAL-TV (Channel 2) from the next day which shows highlights from this game.
Longtime Baltimore sportscaster Vince Bagli mentions something called "Fantastic Fans Night". I'm not sure exactly when or where this idea came from although I think Bob Rivers and WIYY were behind it. The plan was to get fans to show their support for the team by coming out for the game on Monday, May 2nd against the Rangers. This would be the first home game after the road trip that they were currently on.
Outcome: L
Score: 2-4
Streak: L19
Record: 0-19
Rank: 7th
GB: 15.0
Another game where the Orioles lead early but ended up losing. Fred Lynn lead the game off with a home run against Frank Viola and Baltimore extended their lead to 2-0 when Cal Ripken doubled in his brother Bill in the third inning. But Kent Hrbek tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth with a two run home run and Randy Bush followed up with a solo shot three batters later to put the Twins up 3-2. Hrbek hit a second home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to 4-2 which was the final score. These were Hrbek's first two home runs of the season.
One other note about the game - the coaching staff decided to try to loosen the team up by taking batting practice before the game. This included manager Frank Robinson. Robinson had hit 586 home runs during his major league career but he was now 52 years old. "I knew I should not have done it," Robinson told Jane Leavy of the Washington Post a few months later.* "I didn't have the heart, maybe the guts, to say 'no, I can't do it.'" He ended up rupturing a disk in his back "I came up short. Warning-track power. It didn't quite go out. But I knew my back had gone out." He would remain in pain for the rest of the season - so 1988 would end up being physically painful for Frank Robinson as well as professionally.
*The linked article is from the LA Times archive but Leavy is/was with the Washington Post
Here's a video clip from WBAL-TV (Channel 2) from the next day which shows highlights from this game.
Longtime Baltimore sportscaster Vince Bagli mentions something called "Fantastic Fans Night". I'm not sure exactly when or where this idea came from although I think Bob Rivers and WIYY were behind it. The plan was to get fans to show their support for the team by coming out for the game on Monday, May 2nd against the Rangers. This would be the first home game after the road trip that they were currently on.
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