ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A scarred team didn't need this, not now. Still trying to heal themselves from a fall-down first half, last night the Orioles took a knife in the back.
Pinch hitting for Wade Boggs, Bobby Smith lined a two-out, ninth-inning single off Armando Benitez that scored Kevin Stocker and pushed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 2-1 win before 26,472 at Tropicana Field. Benitez's was only the second-biggest mistake of the game.
What appeared to be a game-changing, two-run home run by Harold Baines was instead ruled an RBI double. Instead of working with a lead, the Orioles carried a tie into the ninth inning, where they lost when Benitez couldn't put away an overmatched rookie.
The no-home run ruling became especially significant given the Orioles' poor swings against an expansion pitching staff, especially starter Julio Santana. The Orioles finished with three hits, two by Baines. The bottom of their order continued a skid that leaves the Nos. 6-9 hitters 0-for-24 in this series. It's enough to make a grown manager talk himself to sleep.
"You hit a ball out of the park and it comes back for a double. It's the difference between a 2-1 win and a 2-1 loss," said manager Ray Miller.
On Monday, Miller had complained to American League supervisor of umpires Marty Springstead about short tempers and arrogance among some crews. He made no such accusation last night. Still, the call crushed him.
"That was big," he said later, along with a shrinking cigar.
"It was gone. No doubt," said reliever Pete Smith, who along with the rest of the Orioles bullpen had the perfect angle from the left-field corner. Bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks became enraged, waving his arms to no avail.
Baines circled a finger over his head, giving the signal for a home run. Miller did also. However, none of the four who mattered saw it that way.
"I was trying to change their minds," said Baines, who did not actually see the ball land. "None of them were saying anything. You've got to say it was a home run. But they made their decision."
No heated exchange occurred between Miller and the crew. Three of the four umpires conferred, but none believed the ball had cleared the fence.
"Any time we go out there we want to get the play right. But there are going to be times when you can't tell," admitted crew chief Jim McKean. "You can't be absolutely sure. We were 200 feet away. The players were up. The people were up. It was a tough call to make given the situation. I didn't see it hit anything. Ray Miller asked me to ask the other umpires. He was very fair. He knew it was a tough call to make. We did everything we possibly could to make the right call."
The loss leaves the Orioles bleeding and breathless. Suddenly it doesn't matter that they are 23-7 since the All-Star break. They dropped 10 losses behind the wild card-leading Boston Red Sox with only 44 games remaining.
Miller is beyond frustration. He has lost similar calls in Anaheim, Baltimore and Boston. He's still waiting for one to break his way.
"I know it's not intentional but sooner or later somebody's got to be smart enough to do something in all these ballparks, including ours. Put some kind of thing -- a net like they have in Chicago, or something -- where fans can't reach out and the ball stays there for a home run. The guy who hit it has 300 home runs in his career. He knows if it's a home run," said Miller.
Miller suggested a fifth umpire, instant replay anything.
"That's five times this year I've had home run calls go against me," he groused. "Then you come in and everybody says it's very obvious on the replay."
Baines wasn't the only robbery victim. Scott Kamieniecki gave his most capable performance of the season -- six innings, six hits, one run -- but left with no decision. Afterward he gave in to the fatalism dogging this team.
Kamieniecki could be excused. He was denied a chance at his first win since April 18. In his third start since spending two months on the disabled list with a herniated disk, he tied his second-longest appearance of the season.
"It's the story of the year right there," he said. "It seemed like a microcosm of the year."
For the second time in three days, controversy settled on Baines, a grossly underrated hitter because of his aversion to attention.
Baines exudes a quiet presence. Eric Davis calls him "Sleepy." He is recognized both as the consummate professional hitter and the ultimate still-waters personality. Until Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, Baines had never been ejected from a game during his 19-year major-league career. The streak ended when replacement umpire Marty Foster tossed him for dropping his bat and walking away silently in protest of a called third strike.
Baines drove a Santana fastball to left-center field. Left fielder Quinton McCracken retreated and leapt for the ball, catching nothing but a face full of padding. Center fielder Randy Winn retrieved the ricochet while Brady Anderson scored from first base and Baines settled into a home-run trot.
Third-base coach Sam Perlozzo quickly protested to third-base umpire McKean. Miller asked for a second opinion, but neither crew chief Al Clark nor plate umpire Terry Craft could overrule the call. Replays showed the ball disappearing behind the wall then coming back on the field.
Orioles today
Opponent: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Site: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Time: 12: 35 p.m.
TV/Radio: Ch. 54/WBAL (1090 AM)
Starters: O's Scott Erickson (11-9, 4.18) vs. Devil Rays' Wilson Alvarez (5-10, 5.22)
Rare failing
Despite allowing the game-winning run last night, Orioles reliever Armando Benitez has given up only three earned runs in his 15 appearances since the All-Star break. A look:
Date .... IP ... H .. ER
July 9 ... 1 ... 0 ... 0
July 10 ... 1/3 .. 0 ... 0
July 13 ... 2/3 .. 0 ... 0
July 17 .. 1 1/3 .. 1 ... 0
July 18 ... 2/3 .. 0 ... 0
July 19 ... 2/3 .. 0 ... 0
July 22 .. 1 ... 0 ... 0
July 23 .. 1 ... 0 ... 0
July 24 .. 1 ... 0 ... 0
July 28 ... 2/3 .. 0 ... 0
July 30 .. 1 ... 0 ... 0
Aug. 2 ... 2 ... 0 ... 0
Aug. 7 ... 1 ... 2 ... 2
Aug. 10 .. 1 ... 0 ... 0
Aug. 11 ... 2/3 .. 2 ... 1
Edge for Rays
The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays have won six of nine games against the Orioles this season, including five of the last six. A look at the last six:
D Result ... Summary
5/15 TB 4-1 O's held to six hits
5/16 TB 5-2 Rays jump to 4-1 lead
5/17 TB 7-3 Rays score 5 in 8th
TB 6-3 Drabek 4 IP, 5 ER
8/10 O's 2-1 Alomar GW single
8/11 TB 2-1 B. Smith single in 9th
Pub Date: 8/12/98