There was no Cal Ripken, and no Tony Gwynn. The schedule makers who finally changed interleague play this season waited one year too long for that.
So last night's game at Camden Yards offered a showcase of two franchises trying to establish new identities for their fans, knowing they can't replace the irreplaceable.
If there's one team that can identify with the Orioles' challenges this year without Ripken, it's the Padres, who are moving on without Gwynn, who made San Diego his home and never left during what surely was a Hall of Fame career.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Melvin Mora had a career-high five RBIs, as the Orioles blew a late lead but still came away with an 8-6 victory before 30,075 at Camden Yards.
Mora, who had a three-run double in the second inning, broke a 6-6 tie with a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth off Padres reliever Jeremy Fikac (3-5).
"I was struggling with runners in scoring position." said Mora, who has 25 RBIs for the season. 'One of these days, somebody is going to pay. I just hit the ball as hard as I could."
Buddy Groom (2-1) earned the victory, Jorge Julio recorded the final two outs for his 12th save in 16 chances, and the Orioles broke a two-game losing streak.
Life after Ripken has been a little more pleasant for the Orioles than life after Gwynn for the Padres. San Diego is in last place in the National League West and has lost nine of its past 11 games.
Much like the Orioles a year ago, the Padres have sustained a series of significant injuries, forcing them to tap into their minor-league system and rush players to the big leagues.
Last night's pitcher, Dennis Tankersley, was making just his seventh big-league start after jumping to the majors straight from Double-A. Tonight's starter, Kevin Pickford, will be making his second major-league start.
After going 9-9 in an 18-game stretch against the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, this three-game series with the Padres represented something of a reprieve for the Orioles.
Tankersley allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings, walking five and striking out one. Orioles starter Scott Erickson allowed four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He is winless in his past eight starts.
The Padres took a 3-0 lead, and Mora tied the score with his bases-clearing double. Mora came within feet of his first career grand slam, as the ball hit high off the center-field wall.
Bubba Trammell put the Padres back in front with a home run off Erickson, but the Orioles quickly regained the lead with two runs in the fourth.
Tony Batista hit a leadoff double, Marty Cordova walked, and Brook Fordyce moved them to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Batista scored on a wild pitch by Tankersley, and Mike Bordick made it 5-4 with a single to center field that scored Cordova.
The Orioles had a chance to add to their lead, loading the bases with one out, but Padres reliever Jason Middlebrook got Chris Singleton to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
Cordova's run-scoring single in the fifth put the Orioles ahead 6-4.
With one out in the sixth inning, Erickson walked two con secutive batters, prompting Orioles manager Mike Hargrove to turn to his bullpen.
Willis Roberts came in and walked catcher Wiki Gonzalez, loading the bases. But at a pivotal moment in this game, Roberts settled down, blowing fastballs by hitters and flexing his right arm with each strike.
Roberts fanned Ramon Vazquez for the second out, then Julius Matos took a called third strike to end the inning, and Roberts pointed to the sky as he walked off the mound.
The Padres pulled within one run when Ryan Klesko homered off B.J. Ryan in the seventh inning. It was Klesko's 13th homer of the season, and he has now reached base in 53 consecutive games.
San Diego tied the game in the eighth inning, when pinch hitter D'Angelo Jimenez hit a smash that bounced off Batista's glove at third base for his fifth error in the past six games. Former Oriole Trenidad Hubbard scored on the play.
"We only got six hits. Obviously, we made them all count." Hargrove said. "We struggled pitching tonight. A lot of deep counts and more than the usual amount of walks. Tonight was just one of those nights, when you do win it, you feel good."