Game 69: O's Score Late, Hang On, 6-5

Baltimore (June 28) - Joe Coleman has lost a lot of games this season. For nearly seven innings it looked like that might change.

It didn't.

The Baltimore Orioles erupted for four runs in the seventh inning, overcoming a 4-2 deficit, and they held on to beat Coleman and the Tigers, 6-5, at Memorial Stadium tonight.

Coleman (3-11) was in control after six innings, but in the seventh the Orioles kicked up their heels.

Brooks Robinson led off with a double, Dave Duncan singled him to third and one out later, Ken Singleton plated Robinson with a single. Bobby Grich walked, loading the bases. Then Al Bumbry doubled, scoring two more runs. Grich was cut down at the plate after a Ron LeFlore-to-Gene Michael-to-Bill Freehan relay.

Coleman, staggered, was left in the game by manager Ralph Houk.

"I thought he had enough to get one more out," Houk explained.

But Lee May squashed those thoughts with a triple, scoring Bumbry. Coleman was then lifted for rookie Ike Brookens.

"It all happened kind of fast," Coleman said afterward. "But that's what (the Orioles) can do. They can strike quickly."




Coleman's worst-ever season as a Tiger continued; he's 3-11
 

The Tigers edged to within one run in the eighth when Jack Pierce delivered a two-out single that scored Dan Meyer from second. Meyer led off the inning with a double.

The Tigers threw out another runner, Singleton, at the plate in the eighth, keeping the score 6-5. Again LeFlore started the relay.

The Tigers got a lead off walk from Aurelio Rodriguez in the ninth, but on a hit-and-run with pinch-hitter Gates Brown at the plate, Brown struck out and Rodriguez was cut down stealing. LeFlore grounded out to end the game.

"We tried to make something happen," Houk said of the ill-fated hit-and-run.

The Tigers scored four times in the fourth off O's starter Mike Torrez to take a 4-2 lead. After two walks, Freehan hit a three-run homer, and Pierce followed with a solo shot.

The Orioles scored twice in the first inning on a Bumbry triple and a May sacrifice fly, and it looked like another long night for Coleman. But the right-hander settled down and set down 16 of the next 21 Orioles hitters until the seventh.

The Tigers (28-41) will try to salvage a split of the four-game series on Sunday.

Notes: Freehan and Pierce's consecutive homers was the first time the Tigers pulled off that feat this season...Dan Meyer had a double and a triple...Brown, on the pivotal strike out/caught stealing in the ninth: "I just swung right through the damn ball. It hurts now but tomorrow is another day"...Last year after 69 games, the Tigers were 36-33. They finished 72-90.

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Tigers record: 28-41 (actual 27-42)
Home: 13-23
Away: 15-18
Last 10: 4-6