PALMER FIRES 12-INNING CG AS O'S TOP CHISOX
Kravec Retires 25 Consecutive Batters
CHICAGO, Aug. 22 (AP) - Jim Palmer tossed a major league best 12 innings and
emerged the complete game winner when the Orioles rallied for a pair of runs in
the top of the 12th to beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 in the first game of a
doubleheader at Comiskey Park. It was the fourth game of at least 12
innings for the Orioles in the past five days. Baltimore's bullpen was
hanging by a thread and with another game yet to play this day Palmer emerged as
a staff saver and won his major league high 21st game of the season in the
process.
The Orioles nicked White Sox starter Ken Kravec for three runs in the first two
innings of the game. In the top of the first, Bobby Grich doubled with two
outs and trotted home on Lee May's 15th home run of the season. Ken
Singleton's 12th home run of the year led off the top of the second, giving
Baltimore a 3-0 lead.
Palmer held the White Sox to just two harmless singles through five innings but
Chicago edged closer in the sixth. Pat Kelly's one-out single began the
rally. Jim Spencer's infield hit put runners on first and second.
Bill Stein flied out but Palmer walked Jerry Hairston to fill the bases.
Jack Brohamer then lined a 1-0 pitch into right field for a base hit, scoring
Kelly and Spencer to cut the Orioles lead to 3-2.
The White Sox tied the game in the seventh when Jim Essian led off with a double
and scored on Ralph Garr's base hit.
After struggling in the first two innings, Kravec completely dominated the
Orioles. But after allowing the home run to Singleton to open the second
inning, Kravec retired the next 25 batters he faced, the longest stretch of
consecutive batters retired in a single game this season. But with one out
in the top of the 10th, Doug DeCinces snapped the streak by reaching on an
infield single. That was followed by Singleton's hit-and-run single to
left, which advanced DeCinces to third. That brought Chicago manager Paul
Richards out of the dugout and he lifted Kravec and replaced him with Larry
Monroe. Mark Belanger pinch ran for Singleton on first base and Reggie
Jackson came on to pinch hit for Paul Blair. But Monroe came through,
inducing a double play grounder off Jackson's bat to keep the game tied.
In the bottom of the 11th, Brohamer led off by tripling off the right-center
field wall. All the White Sox needed to do was produce a decent fly ball
from either of their next two batters to win the game. But both Bucky Dent
and Essian flied to shallow center field, making it impossible for Brohamer to
score. When Garr popped to third the threat was quashed and the game moved
to the 12th.
The Orioles finally broke through. Grich reached on an infield hit and May
followed with a single to left, leaving runners on first and second.
DeCinces followed with a looper to right field. It dropped in front of
Hairston who misplayed it for an error, allowing Grich to score and May to
advance to third and DeCinces to second. Belanger then lifted a sacrifice
fly to left, scoring DeCinces to make it 5-3.
Palmer came back out for the bottom of the 12th and, on just seven pitches,
retired Jorge Orta, Kelly and Spencer in order to end the game.
8/22/1976, Bal76-ChA76, game 1, Comiskey Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E LOB DP 1976 Orioles 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 9 0 3 0 1976 White Sox 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 10 1 10 3 Orioles AB R H BI AVG White Sox AB R H BI AVG Harper dh 3 0 0 0 .224 Garr cf 6 0 1 1 .322 Crowley ph 1 0 0 0 .176 Orta dh 6 0 0 0 .227 Dempsey rf 5 0 0 0 .209 Kelly lf 5 1 1 0 .229 Grich 2b 5 2 2 0 .244 Spencer 1b 6 1 1 0 .235 May,L 1b 5 2 2 2 .244 Stein 3b 5 0 1 0 .205 DeCinces 3b 5 0 2 1 .188 Hairston rf 4 0 1 0 .184 Singleton lf 4 1 2 1 .289 Brohamer 2b 4 0 2 2 .249 Belanger pr 0 0 0 1 .253 Dent ss 5 0 2 0 .279 Blair,P cf 3 0 0 0 .181 Essian c 5 1 1 0 .175 Jackson,Re ph 1 0 0 0 .302 46 3 10 3 Duncan c 4 0 1 0 .245 Muser pr 1 0 0 0 .245 Nordbrook ss 3 0 0 0 .192 Bumbry lf 1 0 0 0 .224 41 5 9 5 Orioles INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Palmer W 21-7 12.0 10 3 3 3 7 166 102 2.27 12.0 10 3 3 3 7 166 102 White Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Kravec 9.1 5 3 3 1 6 118 69 3.31 Monroe L 0-1 2.2 4 2 1 1 1 29 19 3.38 12.0 9 5 4 2 7 147 88 Bal: Jackson,Re batted for Blair,P in the 10th Belanger ran for Singleton in the 10th Belanger moved to ss in the 10th Jackson,Re moved to cf in the 10th Bumbry inserted at lf in the 10th Muser ran for Duncan in the 11th Crowley batted for Harper in the 11th Dempsey moved to c in the 11th Jackson,Re moved to rf in the 11th Muser moved to lf in the 11th Bumbry moved to cf in the 11th E-Hairston. 2B-Grich(27), Essian(3). 3B-Brohamer(2). HR-May,L(15), Singleton(11). RBI-May,L 2(57), DeCinces(28), Singleton(40), Belanger(33), Garr(37), Brohamer 2(39). SB-Kelly(12). K-Harper 2, Dempsey, Grich 2, DeCinces, Nordbrook, Orta 2, Kelly 2, Spencer, Stein, Essian. BB-Harper, Jackson,Re, Kelly, Hairston, Brohamer. SF-Belanger. WP-Palmer. GWRBI: DeCinces Temperature: 75, Sky: cloudy, Wind: left to right at 11 MPH. Attendance: N/A Game Time: 2:48