Darren Oliver

BaseballDiamondbacks: Optioned P Bob Wolcott to Triple-A Tucson. Recalled P Bobby Chouinard from Tucson.Rangers: Placed P Darren Oliver (strained muscle in back of left shoulder) on 15-day DL, retroactive to June 11. Purchased contract of C Rick Wrona from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Moved OF Geronimo Cruz from extended spring training to Single-A Savannah.Tigers: Former Orioles IF Jeff Manto refused an assignment to Triple-A Toledo, choosing free agency instead.Pub Date: 6/14/98

The Orioles opened their first road trip of the year - a three-city, 10-game swing that will take them to two countries and four time zones - under a closed roof at Rogers Center on Friday night. That set the stage for a home run derby against the Toronto Blue Jays that saw the teams combine for seven homers, including four in a 10-batter span. But it was third baseman Wilson Betemit's single up the middle that proved to be the most important hit of the night, a two-out, bases-loaded, eighth-inning hit that sent the Orioles to a 7-5 win in front of an announced 21,988.

Quote: "My mom was in the stands and that made this first major-league win even more special. Now, I've got to find something to wear on the plane." -- Devil Rays' Jason Johnson after he blanked Texas on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.It's a fact: Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel ran his errorless-games streak to 54 last night.Who's hot: The Rangers' Ivan Rodriguez went 3-for-3 yesterday, including a homer, to raise his average to .443Who's not: Texas starter Darren Oliver (0-3) suffered the loss to Tampa Bay, giving up five runs and six hits over three-plus innings.

For Josh Hamilton, these could have been truly glorious days. If not for the Cardinals' fifth rally in Game 6, Hamilton still would be taking bows for hitting an extra-inning, game-winning home run in the World Series. His drive to center field should have been one for the ages. But Darren Oliver, like Neftali Feliz before him, couldn't finish off the Rangers' clincher and nothing has gone quite right for Hamilton since. Hamilton wasted no time recovering from a hernia that had left him moving awkwardly and hitting without his usual power throughout the Rangers' second consecutive run to the World Series.

At The Ballpark in Arlington (Texas)Day ........... Time .... TV ........ StartersTonight ....... 8:35 ... HTS ....... Kent Mercker (1-0, 5.91) vs. Roger Pavlik (3-0, 2.84)Tomorrow ...... 8:35 ... 54, 50 .... Jimmy Haynes (0-2, 10.38) vs. Kevin Gross (2-1, 5.02)Sunday ........ 3:05 ... HTS ....... David Wells (3-0, 1.50) vs. Darren Oliver (0-0, 5.06)Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) and WTOP (1500 AM)Rangers update: Texas has started almost as quickly as the Orioles, and in a similar fashion -- good hitting (the Rangers ranked first in the AL before yesterday's games)

BaseballBlue Jays: Agreed to $4.5 million, two-year contract with OF Shawn Green.Braves: Agreed to one-year contract with OF George Lombard and OF Curtis Pride (Silver Spring).Diamondbacks: Agreed to $685,000, one-year contract with P Hector Carrasco.Indians: Named Felix Fermin manager for Dominican summer league team.Mets: Agreed to one-year contracts with P Turk Wendell ($661,500), P Derek Wallace and P Jason Isringhausen. Named Roger LaFrancois roving minor-league catching instructor and manager of short-season Single-A Pittsfield.

Melvin Mora returned to the Orioles and their starting lineup yesterday, appearing fresh and in good spirits despite the strain of his brother's death in Venezuela and a 1 a.m. arrival in Baltimore. Mora joined his mother in Valencia on Sunday and missed two games. He replaced Chris Singleton in center field last night and batted leadoff against Boston left-hander Darren Oliver. Jose Mora, one of five brothers in the family, was shot twice at his home over the weekend, the victim of an apparent contract murder.

To be completely honest, I had Mark McLemore tabbed as just another managerial "bobo" when he signed a free-agent contract with the Texas Rangers last winter.You know, a "go-fer," somebody Johnny Oates liked to have around. Since he came with a reputation as a utility man, I figured that just meant he was a versatile bobo: A drinking buddy (that was before I discovered that Oates doesn't drink); a straight man for the manager's one-liners; somebody who had learned how Johnny likes his coffee and who always brought pizza with him to the clubhouse for the coaches to share.

Summer games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington are supposed to be high-scoring affairs in which no lead is ever safe. So it's not surprising that in their 6-4 comeback victory over host Texas, the Orioles were forced to mount a late-inning rally after their offense was seemingly dormant through six innings. The shocker Thursday was how the scuffling Orioles (26-59) surged back -- on the strength of a couple hit batters, a well-placed single and an error. And, of course, the generosity of Texas' bullpen.

The Orioles opened their first road trip of the year - a three-city, 10-game swing that will take them to two countries and four time zones - under a closed roof at Rogers Center on Friday night. That set the stage for a home run derby against the Toronto Blue Jays that saw the teams combine for seven homers, including four in a 10-batter span. But it was third baseman Wilson Betemit's single up the middle that proved to be the most important hit of the night, a two-out, bases-loaded, eighth-inning hit that sent the Orioles to a 7-5 win in front of an announced 21,988.

Summer games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington are supposed to be high-scoring affairs in which no lead is ever safe. So it's not surprising that in their 6-4 comeback victory over host Texas, the Orioles were forced to mount a late-inning rally after their offense was seemingly dormant through six innings. The shocker Thursday was how the scuffling Orioles (26-59) surged back — on the strength of a couple hit batters, a well-placed single and an error. And, of course, the generosity of Texas' bullpen.

Melvin Mora returned to the Orioles and their starting lineup yesterday, appearing fresh and in good spirits despite the strain of his brother's death in Venezuela and a 1 a.m. arrival in Baltimore. Mora joined his mother in Valencia on Sunday and missed two games. He replaced Chris Singleton in center field last night and batted leadoff against Boston left-hander Darren Oliver. Jose Mora, one of five brothers in the family, was shot twice at his home over the weekend, the victim of an apparent contract murder.

When it was finally done and right fielder Jeff Conine had squeezed the final out of the Orioles' 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers, Mike Mussina could finally feel the weight of 138 pitches and more than three weeks of frustration slip from his shoulders. It is still April, still very early. But the circumstances that surrounded Mussina's exhausting, complete-game victory lent yesterday's win significance usually reserved for mid-September, when a manager is willing to leave a game in his best pitcher's hand beyond what is normal or even expected.

BaseballDiamondbacks: Optioned P Bob Wolcott to Triple-A Tucson. Recalled P Bobby Chouinard from Tucson.Rangers: Placed P Darren Oliver (strained muscle in back of left shoulder) on 15-day DL, retroactive to June 11. Purchased contract of C Rick Wrona from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Moved OF Geronimo Cruz from extended spring training to Single-A Savannah.Tigers: Former Orioles IF Jeff Manto refused an assignment to Triple-A Toledo, choosing free agency instead.Pub Date: 6/14/98

A man usually given to little reaction, Scott Erickson stood on the mound staring a hole into the sky.In the game's first two innings, Erickson had seen the Orioles send 13 hitters to the plate. Seven reached base. Only one scored. Now in the third, he saw what he thought to be a "routine fly ball" off the bat of Texas Rangers right fielder Juan Gonzalez keep floating and floating and literally scrape the left-field wall for a grand slam. In his mind, the Orioles' chances went with it."When the ball was hit, everybody was yelling 'second base' because they thought it was a sacrifice fly," Orioles manager Ray Miller said.

Quote: "My mom was in the stands and that made this first major-league win even more special. Now, I've got to find something to wear on the plane." -- Devil Rays' Jason Johnson after he blanked Texas on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.It's a fact: Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel ran his errorless-games streak to 54 last night.Who's hot: The Rangers' Ivan Rodriguez went 3-for-3 yesterday, including a homer, to raise his average to .443Who's not: Texas starter Darren Oliver (0-3) suffered the loss to Tampa Bay, giving up five runs and six hits over three-plus innings.

At The Ballpark in Arlington (Texas)Day .. .. .. .. ..Time .. .. ..TV .. .. .. .. .. ..StartersTonight .. .. .. .8:35 .. .. .HTS .. .. Scott Erickson (3-0, 3.74).. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .vs. Darren Oliver (0-2, 9.35)Tomorrow .. .. ...8:35 .. .54, 50 .. ...Scott Kamieniecki (1-0, 0.90).. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .vs. John Burkett (1-1, 5.75)Sunday .. .. .. ..3:05 .. .. .HTS .. ...Jimmy Key (2-0, 1.42).. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . ..vs. Bobby Witt (1-0, 3.46)