Game 70: O's Sting Tigers Again Late, 5-4

Baltimore (June 29) - For six innings the Tigers thought they had the Baltimore Orioles where they wanted them. Turns out it was the other way around.

The Orioles, using a theme they employed all weekend, scored late and often and beat the Tigers, 5-4, at Memorial Stadium today. Al Bumbry drove in all five runs for Baltimore.

The Tigers led, 4-0, heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Orioles probably were salivating, because in taking three of four games this weekend, the O's made it a habit of scoring in the late innings to overtake the Bengals.

Sure enough, the Orioles scored three runs in the seventh, all coming from a bases-loaded double by Bumbry with two outs.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tigers reliever John Hiller, who's had his ups and downs this season, failed to retire a batter as the Orioles scored twice to win the game. Bumbry struck again, with a single that scored Ken Singleton and Bobby Grich, who both walked and moved into scoring position thanks to a passed ball charged to John Wockenfuss.

Ballgame.

The Tigers (28-42) have lost seven of their past 10 games and are 2-6 on a road trip that takes them to Cleveland next.

"We were cruising along and then everything got away from us," Tigers manager Ralph Houk said. "That's a good team (Orioles) over there and they proved it this weekend."


Bumbry drove in all five runs for the victorious Orioles


After winning an epic 12-inning game on Thursday night, the Tigers dropped the next three, all by one run and twice in the Orioles' last at-bat.

Ray Bare started for the Tigers and pitched six innings of shutout ball before leaving with one out in the seventh. Bob Reynolds finished ths seventh, but not before allowing both runners he inherited to score, plus one of his own.

Hiller (2-6) took over in the eighth and suffered his second loss of the series.

The Tigers scored once in the second, once in the third, and twice in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.

Notes: Tom Veryzer returned to shortstop after a week's absence. Gene Michael started again, though---spelling Aurelio Rodriguez (flu) at third base...The five-RBI game was Bumbry's first of his career...Singleton and Bobby Grich, Baltimore's 1-2 hitters, were hitless but each walked twice and each scored twice...The Tigers fell to a season high 14 games under .500.

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Tigers record: 28-42 (actual 27-43)
Home: 13-23
Away: 15-19
Last 10: 3-7