Beating the Detroit Tigers in a single game in May isn't exactly like sweeping the New York Yankees in September. But the Orioles' 7-4 victory last night was very big.
This time, the Orioles got the clutch hits. They got bunts down. The late-inning bullpen blow-up happened to the other guys. The Orioles, down 4-0, roared back with five runs in the bottom of the sixth and added two in the eighth, cheering the Camden Yards crowd of 35,187.
New faces, different results: Third baseman Jeff Manto, in the starting lineup in place of Leo Gomez the night after Gomez's error contributed to the Orioles' heartbreaking loss on Tuesday, went 4-for-4, including a two-run homer in the middle of the sixth-inning rally. Damon Buford started in center field, scored two runs and stole a base. Armando Benitez pitched in the ninth-inning save situation, rather than Doug Jones, and picked up the first save of his major-league career.
A couple of veterans played major roles as well, as the Orioles' snapped a two-game losing streak. Left fielder Brady Anderson had two hits and two RBIs, and starter Kevin Brown pitched eight innings for his third win, in spite of two homers by Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder.
Those two homers by Fielder helped Detroit build a 4-0 lead, and the possibility -- the likelihood -- of losing a series to the Tigers seemed very real. The specter of dropping seven games out of first in the AL East, very real.
But the Orioles turned it around in the sixth, against Tigers starter Buddy Groom and reliever Felipe Lira.
Cal Ripken started the Orioles' rally by pulling a double just inside the third base line. Chris Hoiles singled to left, Ripken stopping at third. A pulse.
Sherman Obando just missed putting three quick runs on the board, driving a high, deep fly to center, where Chad Curtis reached up to catch the ball at the wall. Ripken scored.
Then, after moving ahead on the count, Manto -- who had doubled and singled in his first two at-bats -- unloaded. Curtis ran toward the wall in left-center and just watched as Manto's homer crashed against the side of the Orioles' bullpen, a mammoth shot of 414 feet.
Groom was done, and Tigers manager Sparky Anderson turned the game over to Lira, a right-hander who likes to hold the ball outside the glove as he peers in for the sign.
