RYAN FANS 14, PREVAILS DESPITE 9 BBs
O's Manage Just 2 Hits, Drop 4th Straight
ANAHEIM, Cal., Apr. 20 (AP) - Nolan Ryan carried a no-hitter into the seventh
inning and struck out 14 batters as the California Angels won a 3-1 decision
over the Baltimore Orioles at Anaheim Stadium. Ryan settled for a complete
game two-hitter and won despite walking nine batters. The 14 strikeouts
are the high mark in the major leagues thus far this season. Only twice
has someone walked more than nine batters in a game and both times it was Ryan,
who issued 10 free passes in each of his two previous starts this year.
For the season to date, Ryan has walked 29 batters and struck out 26 in 25 2/3
innings. At one point during the contest Ryan fanned six consecutive
hitters, also the high mark for the season to date.
Orioles starter Doyle Alexander, making his season debut, tossed a complete game
of his own in a losing effort but walked five batters himself. The 14
combined bases on balls are the most issued in a single game thus far this year.
The Angels took the lead in the bottom of the first inning with an unearned
run. With one out, Jerry Remy singled to center and then stole second
base. When the throw from catcher Elrod Hendricks sailed into center
field, Remy advanced to third on the error. Bobby Bonds then lifted a
sacrifice fly to center, giving the Angels a 1-0 advantage.
The California lead doubled in the fourth. Rusty Torres drew a one-out
walk and, after Remy lined out to center, Bonds drilled a double to left-center,
scoring Torres and putting the Angels on top 2-0.
The Angels tallied their third and final run in the sixth. With one out,
Bruce Bochte drew a free pass and stole second base. Joe Lahoud grounded
back to the mound, with Bochte holding second, and Dave Chalk walked. Ed
Herrman then dropped a single into right field. Bochte scored and Ken
Singleton's throw to the plate was cut off, nabbing Herrmann trying to advance
to second to end the inning.
The Orioles finally dented the scoreboard in the seventh. With one out,
Royle Stillman drew a walk. Hendricks flied out, but Brooks Robinson drew
a free pass. Mark Belanger then lined a sharp single--the first of the
game for Baltimore--into left field. Grch scored on the play and the throw
from left fielder Lahoud flew over the head of catcher Herrmann for an error,
allowing Robinson to advance to third and Belanger to second. Ryan walked
Al Bumbry--the third base on balls issued by the Angels starter in the
inning--to load the bases but retired Paul Blair on a grounder to second to end
the frame.
Grich and Singleton drew back-to-back walks to open the eighth and Tony Muser
sacrificed the runners to second and third, but Stillman flied to shallow left
for the second out and Hendricks fanned to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Belanger singled again, this time with one out, but
Ryan struck out Bumbry and retired Blair on a fly to right to close out the
game.
4/20/1976, Bal76-Cal76, Anaheim Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Orioles 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 10 0 1976 Angels 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 x 3 5 1 6 0 Orioles AB R H BI AVG Angels AB R H BI AVG Bumbry lf 4 0 0 0 .143 Torres,R cf 3 1 0 0 .212 Blair,P cf 5 0 0 0 .086 Remy 2b 4 1 2 0 .304 Grich 2b 2 0 0 0 .226 Bonds rf 3 0 1 2 .125 Singleton rf 2 0 0 0 .171 Melton dh 3 0 0 0 .200 Muser 1b 3 0 0 0 .200 Bochte 1b 2 1 0 0 .256 Stillman dh 2 1 0 0 .000 Lahoud lf 4 0 0 0 .091 Hendricks c 3 0 0 0 .222 Chalk 3b 2 0 0 0 .256 Robinson,Br 3b 3 0 0 0 .167 Herrmann c 3 0 2 1 .125 Belanger ss 4 0 2 1 .222 Ramirez ss 3 0 0 0 .269 28 1 2 1 Smith,B ss 0 0 0 0 .000 27 3 5 3 Orioles INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Alexander,D L 0-1 8.0 5 3 2 5 0 108 59 2.25 8.0 5 3 2 5 0 108 59 Angels INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Ryan W 1-1 9.0 2 1 1 9 14 160 80 2.81 9.0 2 1 1 9 14 160 80 Cal: Smith,B inserted at ss in the 9th E-Hendricks, Lahoud. 2B-Bonds(1). RBI-Belanger(1), Bonds 2(2), Herrmann(4). SB-Remy(2), Bochte(1). K-Bumbry 2, Blair,P 2, Grich, Singleton 2, Muser, Hendricks 2, Robinson,Br 3, Belanger. BB-Bumbry, Grich 2, Singleton 2, Stillman 2, Hendricks, Robinson,Br, Torres,R, Melton, Bochte 2, Chalk. SH-Muser. SF-Bonds. GWRBI: Bonds Temperature: 60, Sky: clear, Wind: out to center at 4 MPH. Attendance: 8,104 Game Time: 2:26