PopTop
08-03-2004, 09:36 PM
What?! A day-night twinbill at Camden and I'm not there?! :notme: It's a crime I tell ya'!
BOXSCORE (http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2004_08_03_seamlb_balmlb_1&c_id=bal)
Palmeiro powers clutch win
Orioles take opener of day-night doubleheader
Gary Washburn / MLB.com (http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bal/news/bal_gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20040803&content_id=817889&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp)
BALTIMORE -- Perhaps Rafael Palmeiro is experiencing his long-awaited resurrection. The Orioles' first baseman, mired in an awful slump over the past two months, sparked the offense for the second straight game on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners.
The 39-year-old Palmeiro drove in three runs, including a clutch two-out RBI single in the eighth inning against reliever Scott Atchison, and the Orioles held on for a 9-7 win in front of 21,188 at Camden Yards.
Palmeiro also had a two-run single in the first inning, and he has a home run, double and four RBIs over his past two games. The eighth-inning single tied Palmeiro with Babe Ruth for 36th on the all-time hits list.
"I was hoping someone would take a picture of that," he said about the moment. "It's incredible. You really don't even think about being mentioned in such company because he was the man."
The Orioles' offense was able to bail out a shaky Sidney Ponson, who received a no-decision despite allowing seven runs and 13 hits in six-plus innings.
Ponson (5.81 ERA) was coming off a sparkling four-hitter on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, but it was obvious in the early going that he was going to labor. Ichiro Suzuki collected the first of his five hits with a triple over the head of center fielder Jerry Hairston. After Randy Winn walked, Suzuki scored on a double-play ball by Bret Boone. Ponson then walked Edgar Martinez, who moved to second on a wild pitch. Raul Ibanez then laced a two-out single for a 2-0 lead.
The Orioles responded with three runs in the bottom of the first off wobbly left-hander Ron Villone, who never got into any kind of rhythm. David Newhan doubled with one out and scored on a blooper by Melvin Mora. Miguel Tejada walked and one out later, a resurgent Palmeiro laced a two-run single to center.
The RBIs were Palmeiro's 11th and 12th this season off a left-handed pitcher.
"I think I have figured out the [mechanical] problem," he said. "I don't want to say anything about it. But I have made some adjustments."
The Mariners peppered Ponson in the third as Ichiro and Winn reached on swinging bunts, and Boone added to the torment with a conventional bunt to load the bases. Martinez's double-play ball scored Suzuki, and Ibanez delivered another killer two-out single to give the Mariners a 4-3 lead.
"I just didn't have anything today," Ponson said. "I had no curveball, fastball or changeup. We won, so that's good. But I didn't do anything to help. I have to make better pitches."
It was about this time where Ponson began getting into a shouting match with Villone in a rare exchange between opposing starters. Villone began the chatter by yelling at Mora from the dugout when the third baseman was playing catch before the fifth inning.
"He was saying something to Melvin and I just told him to shut the [heck] up," Ponson said. "It's only 50 [feet] away from third base, if he has something to say, go say it. Nobody knows. He sat all game there and kept signaling to our dugout and I told him, 'Take a shower and calm down dude.'"
The Orioles took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the third, when Javy Lopez walloped a three-run homer, his 16th.
The team exchanged runs in the fourth. Ponson yielded another two-out RBI single, this time to Winn. Tejada's double cashed in Brian Roberts against reliever Clint Nageotte, who had just replaced Villone.
Ponson began to settle down but was piling up the pitches. Manager Lee Mazzilli let him pitch into the seventh and the right-hander allowed Seattle to tie the game on a mammoth two-run homer by Martinez. He was removed in favor of Jason Grimsley, who then struck out three straight batters to keep the game tied.
The Orioles pushed across the eventual winning run in the seventh on an RBI double by Larry Bigbie off sidearming lefty Mike Myers. Bigbie entered the at-bat hitting just .176 against lefties.
"[Hitting coach Terry] Crowley just told me not to give in," Bigbie said. "And I just stayed inside the ball and went the other way."
Grimsley (4-5) and B.J. Ryan were flawless in setting up closer Jorge Julio, who locked down his 16th save.
BOXSCORE (http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2004_08_03_seamlb_balmlb_1&c_id=bal)
Palmeiro powers clutch win
Orioles take opener of day-night doubleheader
Gary Washburn / MLB.com (http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bal/news/bal_gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20040803&content_id=817889&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp)
BALTIMORE -- Perhaps Rafael Palmeiro is experiencing his long-awaited resurrection. The Orioles' first baseman, mired in an awful slump over the past two months, sparked the offense for the second straight game on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners.
The 39-year-old Palmeiro drove in three runs, including a clutch two-out RBI single in the eighth inning against reliever Scott Atchison, and the Orioles held on for a 9-7 win in front of 21,188 at Camden Yards.
Palmeiro also had a two-run single in the first inning, and he has a home run, double and four RBIs over his past two games. The eighth-inning single tied Palmeiro with Babe Ruth for 36th on the all-time hits list.
"I was hoping someone would take a picture of that," he said about the moment. "It's incredible. You really don't even think about being mentioned in such company because he was the man."
The Orioles' offense was able to bail out a shaky Sidney Ponson, who received a no-decision despite allowing seven runs and 13 hits in six-plus innings.
Ponson (5.81 ERA) was coming off a sparkling four-hitter on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, but it was obvious in the early going that he was going to labor. Ichiro Suzuki collected the first of his five hits with a triple over the head of center fielder Jerry Hairston. After Randy Winn walked, Suzuki scored on a double-play ball by Bret Boone. Ponson then walked Edgar Martinez, who moved to second on a wild pitch. Raul Ibanez then laced a two-out single for a 2-0 lead.
The Orioles responded with three runs in the bottom of the first off wobbly left-hander Ron Villone, who never got into any kind of rhythm. David Newhan doubled with one out and scored on a blooper by Melvin Mora. Miguel Tejada walked and one out later, a resurgent Palmeiro laced a two-run single to center.
The RBIs were Palmeiro's 11th and 12th this season off a left-handed pitcher.
"I think I have figured out the [mechanical] problem," he said. "I don't want to say anything about it. But I have made some adjustments."
The Mariners peppered Ponson in the third as Ichiro and Winn reached on swinging bunts, and Boone added to the torment with a conventional bunt to load the bases. Martinez's double-play ball scored Suzuki, and Ibanez delivered another killer two-out single to give the Mariners a 4-3 lead.
"I just didn't have anything today," Ponson said. "I had no curveball, fastball or changeup. We won, so that's good. But I didn't do anything to help. I have to make better pitches."
It was about this time where Ponson began getting into a shouting match with Villone in a rare exchange between opposing starters. Villone began the chatter by yelling at Mora from the dugout when the third baseman was playing catch before the fifth inning.
"He was saying something to Melvin and I just told him to shut the [heck] up," Ponson said. "It's only 50 [feet] away from third base, if he has something to say, go say it. Nobody knows. He sat all game there and kept signaling to our dugout and I told him, 'Take a shower and calm down dude.'"
The Orioles took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the third, when Javy Lopez walloped a three-run homer, his 16th.
The team exchanged runs in the fourth. Ponson yielded another two-out RBI single, this time to Winn. Tejada's double cashed in Brian Roberts against reliever Clint Nageotte, who had just replaced Villone.
Ponson began to settle down but was piling up the pitches. Manager Lee Mazzilli let him pitch into the seventh and the right-hander allowed Seattle to tie the game on a mammoth two-run homer by Martinez. He was removed in favor of Jason Grimsley, who then struck out three straight batters to keep the game tied.
The Orioles pushed across the eventual winning run in the seventh on an RBI double by Larry Bigbie off sidearming lefty Mike Myers. Bigbie entered the at-bat hitting just .176 against lefties.
"[Hitting coach Terry] Crowley just told me not to give in," Bigbie said. "And I just stayed inside the ball and went the other way."
Grimsley (4-5) and B.J. Ryan were flawless in setting up closer Jorge Julio, who locked down his 16th save.