Mike Mussina provided the Orioles another novelty act last night. This time it wasn't pitching an entire game without throwing from the stretch or flirting with a perfect game for 7 2/3 innings.
Instead, he gave his outfielders the night off in a seven-inning performance that was more determined than artistic. The Orioles left with a functional 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and their seventh victory in eight games.
Behind Mussina, the Orioles did not record an outfield putout. They did generate a well-timed offense that allowed them to play from ahead throughout while the Devil Rays constantly had the tying run on base or at bat.
Shortstop Mike Bordick's three-run home run off Devil Rays starter Rolando Arrojo, three hits by a rejuvenated Cal Ripken and a telling sixth inning by Willie Greene provided Mussina enough offensive support. Armando Benitez gave a tough-man exhibition with two perfect innings of relief for the save.
The Orioles are 68-58 and 30-8 since the All-Star break. They are also 21-3 since the break when scoring first.
"Every guy who steps to the plate isn't looking to be the guy who drives in the tying run," said Mussina of the tale of two halves. "If they don't get the pitch to hit, they're willing to do whatever they can to get on base. Because of it, we're building innings, putting pressure on guys, getting deep in counts and when the hit comes around we already have a couple guys on. Plus we've been able to run the same five [starting pitchers] out there and get six, seven, eight innings and let the bullpen [relievers] know what their roles are. We don't have to have set-up guys in there in the third and fourth innings like we were doing the first half."
The expansion Devil Rays swept four games from the Orioles in their earlier visit to Camden Yards. But that was when the Orioles were in a death spiral and the Devil Rays had yet to experience the drain of a long first season.
Arrojo, one of six Cuban defectors who has pitched in the major leagues, represents a Rookie of the Year candidate at 30. He is the only rookie pitcher from an expansion club to make an All-Star Game. Arrojo began the season 10-4 but has struggled since June. He entered last night with one win in his previous eight starts and had pitched fewer than four innings in two of his past three starts.
The Orioles wasted little time against Arrojo, raking him for six hits and three runs the first two innings.
Bordick didn't produced his first three-RBI game this season until Game No. 118. He waited only eight more days to duplicate the effort.
Arrojo fell into trouble quickly when B. J. Surhoff and Ripken led off with consecutive singles. It extended Ripken's hitting streak to eight games and left him with hits in 22 of his past 24 games and eight hits in his past three games. Ripken's three singles last night also leave him only one hit shy of Brooks Robinson's club-record 2,848 hits. The third baseman is enjoying his most protracted streak of the season and has reached base in the past 43 games.
Orioles manager Ray Miller enjoyed the performance.
"He kind of lit Cal up the first at-bat," Miller said. "He threw one right under his chin. He got back in there a little closer and went to work. That's not a good guy to wake up."
Greene's fielder's choice and Chris Hoiles' strikeout threatened the rally. But Bordick, who has quietly rehabilitated his offense after a difficult beginning, turned on the league's toughest pitcher against right-handers (.188) for a home run into the left-field stands.
Bordick's eighth home run tied a career high.
Bordick said: "I think he threw me the only fastball and fortunately I started my swing soon enough and got a good part of the bat on it."
What might have been another early knockout of Arrojo (11-10) instead went no further after Roberto Alomar's bunt single, a walk of Brady Anderson and Harold Baines' scalded single to right loaded the bases for Rafael Palmeiro. Palmeiro ended the five-hit inning with a first-pitch grounder to shortstop.
In Mussina's hands, a 3-0 lead is usually fail-safe. This time it survived two dangerous innings, once thanks to the pitcher's ability to negotiate the bottom of the Devil Rays' lineup and the second because of Greene's most significant play as an Orioles. Both crises followed extended at-bats.
Two starts after making 129 pitches in Minnesota, Mussina needed only 33 pitches to get his first eight outs. He required 10 to eliminate second baseman Miguel Cairo to end the third inning. The Devil Rays returned in the fourth to load the bases on three consecutive singles by Bobby Smith, Wade Boggs and Bubba Trammell. Instead of buckling, Mussina got out of the jam with only one run.
Mussina nearly dropped the 3-1 lead during a 34-pitch sixth inning. It began with a a classic at-bat by Smith, who saw 14 pitches before earning a walk.
Mussina (12-6) appeared ready to neutralize his leadoff walk to Smith with consecutive ground outs; however, Paul Sorrento lined a single over Mussina's head into center field to score the run. Quinton McCracken flared a single to left field, moving the runner to second. Mussina, who did not need an outfield putout, received an outfield assist when catcher John Flaherty lined a single to Greene in right.
With two outs, the heavy-legged Sorrento was waved. Greene's throw beat him easily as Hoiles gave the runner no chance at the plate.
Miller said: "He made a great throw, right on the money. I think he's a little bit nervous right now, coming to a new team, a team that's winning. But he's got a lot going for him."
The Orioles then continued their second-half custom of scoring runs when necessary. Greene doubled with one out and scored on Alomar's two-out single to restore the two-run cushion and chase Arrojo.
However, the two most important runs of the game came off left-handed reliever Ramon Tatis in the seventh. Pinch hitting for Baines, Eric Davis extended his recent tear to hitting in 32 of 33 games by following Brady Anderson's leadoff walk with an RBI double. Tatis was lifted for right-hander Rick White against Ripken.
No longer an easy target for inside fastballs and breaking balls, Ripken lined a hit to center field that scored Davis for a 6-2 lead.
Orioles tonight
Opponent: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Site: Camden Yards
Time: 7: 35
TV/Radio: HTS/WBAL (1090 AM)
Starters: Devil Rays' Tony Saunders (3-11, 4.45) vs. Orioles' Juan Guzman (8-12, 4.31)
Tickets: 6,000 remain
AL wild-card race
.. .. .. .. ..W-L .. .. ..Pct. .. .. ..GB
Boston .. .. .74-50.. .. .597 .. .. ...--
Orioles .. ...68-58.. .. .540 .. .. .. .7
Texas .. .. ..66-59.. .. .528 .. .. ...8 1/2
Pub Date: 8/20/98