Game 152: Sep 22, 1999 (L: 6-4)
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My Commentary

A sweep, but the wrong way.  Coming into the game, the Rangers had a magic number of 6.  They made a big stink out of this at the ballpark itself (I was at this game; more on that in a bit).  The number six appeared all over the place.  It seemed to get the fans going, especially when Chuck Morgan announced the fact over the PA system.  Gave the fans a buzz to start the game, I felt.  The Rangers busted out big in the first inning, which was something they haven't done in some time.  We were up 4-1 after the first inning, and I have to say most Ranger fans were feeling pretty happy about that.   

However, that's all there was to cheer about Ranger wise.  With the exception of a really great defensive catch by Tom Goodwin, the rest of the night was Orioles.  That was due to their starter Scott Erickson.  After being shelled in the first inning, Erickson gave up only a single to Pudge in the second, and that was the only hit he gave up for about 13 straight batters (although there was a walk mixed in there).  Erickson was very strong after the first, and only came out in the 9th after he let a couple get on, bringing in Mike Timlin, who was equally as good.   Honestly, looking at this Orioles team, I find it hard to believe they are so far back in the standings, they appear to have a pretty good team from my own eyes, I've seen them 4 times in person this year (twice in Baltimore).

Anyway, the high point for the Rangers offensively was a home run by Raffy in the first inning.  I felt bad, as a small kid behind me got really scared at all the noise and the fireworks.  I felt bad - his father had to leave with him after that.  I hope they just moved elsewhere.  Speaking of home runs, Mr. Rick Helling gave up three last night, including two on consecutive pitches.  Rick leads the AL in allowed home runs this year, passing Jeff Fassero (who I still have a hard time believing is a Ranger).   If Rick gives up three more this year, he breaks a 20 year old Ranger record for most allowed home runs held by Fergie Jenkins.  Just for kicks, Mike Venafro allowed a home run to Albert Belle, too.

However, Danny Patterson really surprised me.  He pitched outstandingly, and I thought he was the sharpest I can remember him this season.  I've kind of soured on Patterson this season, but damn - this was good stuff.  If his stuff is this good all the time, I wonder if he could be a starter.

The way the Rangers have been playing this past week reminds me of the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies.  That year is legend in Philadelphia sports history.  After leading the league much of the season and owning a six and one-half game lead with 12 games to play, a seemingly certain pennant was snatched away as the Phillies lost 10 straight in late September. The collapse devastated an entire city. I wasn't born yet (that happened the next year), but I know it very well, as anyone know knows Phillies history can tell you.  I don't take the division as a lock, because I'm sure if we lose the division to the A's, we're out - stranger things have happened.

As I said before, Lynn & I were at this game tonight, and it was wonderful.  We sat in Section 325, Row 10, and I have to say, I very much loved this view of the Ballpark.  Our current season tickets are in Sec 39, and while we've had those for three years, the fact that they're $60 a game (for two tickets), coupled with the obstructed view of the scoreboard, and seeing the backsides of the players make me want to move up here.  Hell, these tickets are $28 a game (for two), and you can see everything in the park, with the exception of a clock (which isn't a big deal).   I had a wonderful time at the game last night, as it was very cool (game time temp was 72), my wife got to wear her Ranger sweatshirt for the first time this year to a game, and it wasn't that crowded.  There was a pack of Orioles fans about 3 rows from the top of the section, which was cool.  That same thing happened when we were in Baltimore, there was a big pack of Ranger fans making a lot of noise.  :)

One cool thing..  If you've seen the ads for the Ranger Pennant Drive flag for your car from Albertsons, you may not know about this.  If you drive up to the Ballpark with one of these on your car, they give you a voucher for a promotional item you can get from the Fan Relations Booth behind section 126.  Well, I had gotten one of these flags, and put it on my car.  Got the voucher, and walked to the booth, and they gave me a bat!  That was really cool!  It was the Rafael Palmeiro giveaway bat from earlier in the season for kids.  I didn't care.  It was way cool.  These vouchers are being given out for the remaining games at the Ballpark this season, so if you were thinking about going to one of the remaining 7 games at home, show up with one of these flags, they'll give you something free for it.  I still have two more games to go to (Sunday & Monday), so hopefully I'll get to see the Rangers clinch the division one of these days, and get a couple more cool giveaway promotions.   Man, the Rangers rock, and these little added things really make it nice (for me, anyway).

Oh yeah, Route 30 was closed last night, so I took the 35 to 183 to 360 to Ballpark route.  My god, did that SUCK!  I don't know if that's normal traffic flow there, but if it is, jeez...  I don't know how anyone can drive that regularly.  It was backed up for the entire time from Texas Stadium all the way out to the Ballpark in Arlington.  That was horrible!

-- Joe Siegler

Game Recap

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) -- Earl Weaver would be proud.

The Baltimore Orioles used four home runs to post their 13th straight win, a 7-4 victory over the sputtering Texas Rangers.

Rookie Jesse Garcia, Brady Anderson and Albert Belle hit solo homers and Charles Johnson added a two-run shot for Baltimore, who matched Weaver's 1978 Orioles for the second-longest winning streak in team history.

The club record is a 14-game winning streak, also set under Weaver in 1971. Tonight's win came after Baltimore learned third baseman Cal Ripken will undergo season-ending back surgery that will leave him nine hits short of 3,000.

Scott Erickson (15-11) benefited from the power display, winning his fifth straight start and improving to 11-3 since the All-Star break. He held Texas to four runs and 10 hits over eight-plus innings with three walks and two strikeouts.

"I was hoping to go nine tonight. I had a shot at it," Erickson said. "Even though we're out of it, I want to go nine every day. I was trying to keep the ball down, to get double plays in the eighth and ninth. I had one in the first that helped, too. I should have had one in the ninth when I had the hitter 0-2, but I let it slip away."

Red-hot Mike Timlin retired all three batters he faced to escape trouble in the ninth. He has saved each of the last five games, boosting his total to 26 in 35 chances this season.

Rick Helling (13-10) suffered his third straight loss, yielding six runs and eight hits -- including three homers -- in 5 2/3 innings.

The Rangers have lost three straight and four of their last five games. Since winning four in a row earlier this month, they are only 4-7.

"I'd say that we are probably frustrated," Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "We want to hit the five-run homer or get the quadruple play. With 10 games left, this is not the time to be playing physically and mentally tired. If you told me, however, in spring training, that we'd have a 5 1/2-game lead with 10 games to play, I would have taken it."

Erickson spotted the Rangers a 4-1 lead and allowed six hits over the first two innings. But he did not give up another until the seventh as Baltimore rallied.

Garcia, a native of nearby Robstown, Texas, started the comeback in the second with his first major league homer.

"Every year it seems I'm home for my birthday (on Friday)," he said. "And it's nice to be here this year. It's real exciting to get the first home run and to hit it here in front of my friends and family. I had about 80 people here tonight."

Belle led off the fourth with a double and later scored on rookie Calvin Pickering's groundout to cut the deficit to 4-3. One inning later, Garcia had a leadoff single ahead of Johnson's 16th homer. Anderson hit Helling's next pitch over the right-field fence for his 23rd home run and a 6-4 lead.

"With C.J., I had him 3-2 and I tried to back a fastball up," Helling said. "As soon as he hit it, I knew it was a stupid pitch. It was just a matter of the wrong pitch not execution. I'm not throwing the ball at all right now. I'm real close. ... I'm pitching bad at the wrong time. I'm in a little rut right now."

Belle homered off rookie Mike Venafro in the seventh to cap the scoring.

"Stuff-wise, I see the same thing from Helling," Oates said. "He'd throw two or three nice breaking balls, then throw one up and over the plate."

Rafael Palmeiro highlighted the Rangers' four-run first with a two-run homer, his 45th.

Recap #2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles stretched their winning streak to 13 games on Wednesday night, yet there was no celebrating in the clubhouse.

The Orioles had just received the news that Cal Ripken would be lost for the rest of the season, leaving him nine hits short of 3,000.

Baltimore's 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers matched the Orioles' second-longest streak in team history. But during the game, Orioles general manager Frank Wren announced that Ripken would undergo back surgery on Thursday morning in Cleveland to relieve pressure on a nerve that has been the source of pain.

"If he gets his back taken care of, he might have 1,000 more hits left in him," Orioles manager Ray Miller said. "It's been bothering him all year. We wish him the best."

Ripken traveled to Cleveland on Wednesday to visit specialist Dr. Henry Bohlman after experiencing back spasms overnight. The All-Star third baseman made his first two trips to the disabled list this season.

Now Ripken will have to wait until next season to join the 3,000-hit club.

"It's sad for him to be so close," said Orioles closer Mike Timlin. "But it's much better for him to be healthy. If you don't have your health, you can't play well."

Ripken doubled Tuesday night against the Rangers to give him 2,991 hits, and the Orioles were hopeful he could complete the climb to 3,000 this season.

"It would have been nice for him to come back on his own terms with no pressure," said Orioles starter Scott Erickson. "It would have been nice to get it done and get it out of the way this year."

Baltimore's winning streak trails only a 14-game string from Aug. 12-27, 1973. The Orioles also won 13 in a row from May 31-June 14, 1978.

"We're not really worrying about the streak," said Timlin, who pitched the ninth for his 26th save. "We're just trying to go out strong and pick it up again next year."

Texas lost its third in a row. The Rangers' magic number for clinching the AL West is at six after second-place Oakland lost 5-4 to Minnesota.

"We're frustrated, trying to make something happen," said Rangers manager Johnny Oates. "We want to hit the five-run homer or get the quadruple play. With 10 games left, this is not the time to be playing physically and mentally tired."

Charles Johnson and Brady Anderson hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning for the Orioles. Albert Belle hit his 35th homer and Jesus Garcia hit his first in the majors.

Erickson (15-11) gave up four runs in the first inning but recovered to win his fifth straight start. He allowed four runs and 10 hits in eight-plus innings.

The Orioles rallied from a 4-1 deficit against Rick Helling (13-10), taking a 6-4 lead in the fifth on Johnson's two-run homer and Anderson's shot.

Garcia homered in the second inning and Belle added a solo homer in the seventh.

The Orioles got a run in the first when Mike Bordick tripled and scored on Helling's wild pitch.

Rafael Palmeiro's 45th homer, a two-run shot, highlighted Texas' burst in the first. Todd Zeile and Roberto Kelly had RBI singles.

GAME NOTES: Rangers OF Rusty Greer, hit in the eye by a thrown ball during pregame warmups Sept. 13, returned to the lineup Tuesday night but left after four innings because of hazy vision. Two doctors examined Greer on Wednesday morning and found no abnormalities. He has a bruised retina and is listed as day-to-day. ... Erickson is 7-1 in his last eight starts. ... Texas sent minor league outfielder Adrian Myers to Seattle to complete the Aug. 27 trade that sent LHP Jeff Fassero to the Rangers. The Mariners assigned Myers to Triple-A Tacoma. ... Helling has allowed 38 homers this season, two short of tying the club record set by Ferguson Jenkins in 1979.  

Photos
(Click on any of them for a larger image)

Texas starter Rick Helling	Baltimore starter Scott Erickson	Mike Bordick slides into third with a triple, as Todd Zeile "protects himself".  <g>	Jesus Garcia gets congrats for his home run	Tom Goodwin makes a spectacular catch in centerfield

Albert Belle crosses the plate	Brady Anderson is tagged out at first.  Either that, or Lee Stevens has developed superhuman strength and can lift players up in the air with his glove.

Box Score

Line Score
AL  FINAL
                    1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9     R  H  E
                    -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -     -  -  -
BALTIMORE           1  1  0   1  3  0   1  0  0     7  9  0
TEXAS               4  0  0   0  0  0   0  0  0     4 10  0   (FINAL)

BATTERIES:  BAL - SCOTT ERICKSON, MIKE TIMLIN (9TH) AND CHARLES
                  JOHNSON
            TEX - RICK HELLING, MIKE VENAFRO (6TH), DANNY
                  PATTERSON (8TH), MIKE MUNOZ (9TH) AND IVAN
                  RODRIGUEZ

             WP - SCOTT ERICKSON (15-11)
             LP - RICK HELLING (13-10)
           SAVE - MIKE TIMLIN (26)

HOME RUNS:  BAL - JESSE GARCIA (1) OFF HELLING IN THE 2ND, 0 ON
                  CHARLES JOHNSON (16) OFF HELLING IN THE 5TH, 1 ON
                  BRADY ANDERSON (23) OFF HELLING IN THE 5TH, 0 ON
                  ALBERT BELLE (35) OFF VENAFRO IN THE 7TH, 0 ON
            TEX - RAFAEL PALMEIRO (45) OFF ERICKSON IN THE 1ST, ON

     TIME:  2:46     ATT:  34,007

PROBABLES:  OAK - BRETT LAXTON (0-0, 5.39) AND OMAR OLIVARES (15-10, 4.07)
            BAL - SIDNEY PONSON (12-11, 4.37) AND MATT RILEY (0-0, 6.74)

            OAK - GIL HEREDIA (13-7, 4.58)
            TEX - AARON SELE (17-8, 4.80)

Box Score
BALTIMORE (7) AT TEXAS (4) - FINAL

BALTIMORE              ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
B Anderson cf           5  1  1  1   0  2   2  .288
Bordick ss              5  1  1  0   0  0   0  .275
Surhoff lf              3  0  0  0   1  1   0  .313
Belle rf                3  2  2  1   1  0   1  .299
Conine 1b               4  0  0  0   0  1   2  .294
Pickering dh            3  0  1  1   0  1   0  .067
 a-Amaral ph            1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .280
Minor 3b                4  0  0  0   0  2   1  .187
J Garcia 2b             4  2  2  1   0  0   1  .200
C Johnson c             4  1  2  2   0  2   0  .256

Totals                 36  7  9  6   2  9   7

a-grounded to shortstop for Pickering in the 8th.

BATTING: 2B - Belle (30, Helling). 3B - Bordick (6, Helling).
HR - J Garcia (1, 2nd inning off Helling 0 on, 2 out); C Johnson
(16, 5th inning off Helling 1 on, 0 out); B Anderson (23, 5th
inning off Helling 0 on, 0 out); Belle (35, 7th inning off
Venafro 0 on, 2 out). RBI - J Garcia (1), Pickering (1),
C Johnson 2 (53), B Anderson (79), Belle (108). 2-out RBI -
J Garcia, Belle. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out -
B Anderson 1.  Team LOB - 4.

FIELDING: DP: 3 (Bordick-J Garcia-Conine 3).

TEXAS                  ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
Mclemore 2b             5  0  1  0   0  0   2  .271
I Rodriguez c           4  1  2  0   0  0   2  .330
R Palmeiro dh           3  1  1  2   1  0   1  .336
J Gonzalez rf           4  1  2  0   0  0   1  .316
Zeile 3b                4  1  1  1   0  1   1  .293
L Stevens 1b            3  0  1  0   1  0   0  .286
R Kelly lf              3  0  1  1   1  0   0  .307
Clayton ss              4  0  0  0   0  1   2  .276
T Goodwin cf            4  0  1  0   0  0   2  .247

Totals                 34  4 10  4   3  2  11

BATTING: 2B - J Gonzalez (32, Erickson). HR - R Palmeiro (45,
1st inning off Erickson 1 on, 1 out). RBI - R Palmeiro 2 (142),
Zeile (91), R Kelly (37). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out -
Mclemore 2. GIDP - Clayton, I Rodriguez, Zeile.  Team LOB - 6.

BALTIMORE                    ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Erickson (W, 15-11)           8      10   4   4   3   2   1   4.76
Timlin (S, 26)                1       0   0   0   0   0   0   3.60

TEXAS                        ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Helling (L, 13-10)            5 2/3   8   6   6   2   5   3   4.85
Venafro                       1 1/3   1   1   1   0   1   1   3.32
D Patterson                   1 1/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   5.05
M Munoz                         2/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   3.68

Erickson pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.

WP - Helling.  Pitches-strikes: Helling 104-65; Venafro 17-10;
D Patterson 17-13; M Munoz 6-5; Erickson 122-74; Timlin 13-10.
Ground balls-fly balls: Helling 2-10; Venafro 3-0; D Patterson 2-0;
M Munoz 1-0; Erickson 17-5; Timlin 2-1.  Batters faced: Helling 27;
Venafro 5; D Patterson 4; M Munoz 2; Erickson 34; Timlin 3.

UMPIRES: HP--Mike Dimuro. 1B--Terry Craft. 2B--Jim Joyce.
3B--Tim Welke.
T--2:46.  Att--34,007.   Weather: 73 degrees, clear.   Wind: 8 mph,
left to right.

AL       BALTIMORE AT TEXAS
         NOTE:  THE HOME RUN BY BALTIMORE'S JESSE GARCIA IN THE TOP OF
                THE SECOND INNING WAS THE FIRST OF HIS MAJOR LEAGUE
                CAREER.

AL       BALTIMORE AT TEXAS
         NOTE:  THE HOME RUNS BY BALTIMORE'S CHARLES JOHNSON AND BRADY
                ANDERSON IN THE TOP OF THE FIFTH INNING WERE BACK-TO-BACK.

Game Log

Baltimore Starting Lineups -- Brady Anderson CF, Mike Bordick SS, Bj Surhoff LF, Albert Belle RF, Jeff Conine 1B, Calvin Pickering DH, Ryan Minor 3B, Jesse Garcia 2B, Charles Johnson C, Scott Erickson RHP.

Texas Starting Lineups -- Mark Mclemore 2B, Ivan Rodriguez C, Rafael Palmeiro DH, Juan Gonzalez RF, Todd Zeile 3B, Lee Stevens 1B, Roberto Kelly LF, Royce Clayton SS, Tom Goodwin CF, Rick Helling RHP.

Umpires -- M Dimuro (HP), T Craft (1B), Joyce (2B), T Welke (3B).

Gametime Weather: 73 degrees, Clear, wind left to right at 8 mph.

BALTIMORE 1ST: B Anderson struck out looking. Bordick tripled to deep center. Bordick scored on Helling wild pitch. Surhoff struck out looking. Belle walked. Conine flied out to center. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 1, TEXAS 0.

TEXAS 1ST: Mclemore grounded out to pitcher. I Rodriguez singled to left. R Palmeiro homered to right, I Rodriguez scored. J Gonzalez doubled to left. Zeile singled to right, J Gonzalez scored. L Stevens walked, Zeile to second. R Kelly singled to right center, Zeile scored, L Stevens to third. Clayton grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, R Kelly out at second. (4 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 1, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 2ND: Pickering struck out swinging. Minor grounded out to third. J Garcia homered to left. C Johnson struck out looking. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 2, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 2ND: T Goodwin grounded out to shortstop. Mclemore grounded out to third. I Rodriguez singled to right. R Palmeiro grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 2, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 3RD: B Anderson flied out to left center. Bordick lined out to center. Surhoff flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 2, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 3RD: J Gonzalez lined out to second. Zeile struck out swinging. L Stevens flied out to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 2, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 4TH: Belle doubled to left. Conine flied out to right, Belle to third. Pickering grounded out to second, Belle scored. Minor struck out looking. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 3, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 4TH: R Kelly flied out to center. Clayton struck out swinging. T Goodwin grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 3, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 5TH: J Garcia singled to center. C Johnson homered to left, J Garcia scored. B Anderson homered to right. Bordick fouled out to first. Surhoff walked. Belle fouled out to right. Conine flied out to center. (3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 6, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 5TH: Mclemore grounded out to pitcher. I Rodriguez lined out to center. R Palmeiro walked. J Gonzalez flied out to shallow center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 6, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 6TH: Pickering singled to right. Minor popped out to second. J Garcia flied out to right. C Johnson singled to left center, Pickering to third. Mike Venafro relieved Rick Helling. B Anderson grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 6, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 6TH: Zeile grounded out to shortstop. L Stevens grounded out to third. R Kelly grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 6, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 7TH: Bordick grounded out to second. Surhoff grounded out to pitcher. Belle homered to left. Conine struck out swinging. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 7, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 7TH: Clayton grounded out to third. T Goodwin singled to left center. Mclemore singled to right center, T Goodwin to second. I Rodriguez grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Mclemore out at second. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 7, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 8TH: Amaral hit for Pickering. Danny Patterson relieved Mike Venafro. Amaral grounded out to shortstop. Minor struck out swinging. J Garcia grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 7, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 8TH: R Palmeiro grounded out to shortstop. J Gonzalez singled to center. Zeile grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, J Gonzalez out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 7, TEXAS 4.

BALTIMORE 9TH: C Johnson struck out swinging. Mike Munoz relieved Danny Patterson. B Anderson struck out swinging. Bordick grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 7, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 9TH: L Stevens reached on infield single. R Kelly walked, L Stevens to second. Mike Timlin relieved Scott Erickson. Clayton grounded out to second, L Stevens to third, R Kelly to second. T Goodwin flied out to shallow left. Mclemore grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) BALTIMORE 7, TEXAS 4.