Third Inning

City missed its chance at a big inning, but Poly didn't. The Engineers scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning and went on to an 8-5 victory, clinching the Baltimore City A Conference baseball title yesterday afternoon. Poly was pumped up from the get-go with its boisterous cheering that spilled onto the field. "Fire is a key word for these boys, because they have a lot of heart for a young team," Poly coach Chris Vaccaro said. The host Engineers (14-2) picked two Knights off base in the third to dismiss what could have been a big inning for the visitors.

For three of the four innings he pitched Friday, right-hander Steve Johnson showed why he remains in consideration to be the Orioles' fifth starter. The other inning, though, the 25-year-old St. Paul's alum would like to forget. In the Orioles' 6-3 road win against a Tampa Bay Rays split squad, Johnson retired the first eight batters he faced before temporarily losing control and walking the bases loaded in the third inning. Rays third baseman Evan Longoria followed with a sinking liner that left fielder Trayvon Robinson couldn't handle, resulting in a three-run double.

June 24, 1988: Roger Clemens exited the game in the third inning as the Orioles beat the Red Sox, 6-2.

CLEVELAND - The Orioles have been victims of the big inning recently, when everything seemingly collapses around the starting pitcher. On Friday, the Orioles finally saw it from a different vantage point. They pounded the Cleveland Indians, 10-2, Friday night for their second most lopsided victory of the season. It included a six-run third against veteran right-hander Derek Lowe - the most runs the Orioles have scored since getting seven in an inning May 5 against Boston. “It's rare that we get four, five, six runs an inning.

HittingOtis Nixon, Twins: 4 hits, 2 SBs.Tony Fernandez, Blue Jays: 4-for-4, triple.Mo Vaughn, Red Sox: 2 HRs, 4 RBIs.PitchingChuck Finley, Angels: 7 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits.Rolando Arrojo, Devil Rays: 8 innings, 1 run, 4 hits.Jaret Wright, Indians: 7 2/3 innings, 1 run, 8 hits.FieldingMariners center fielder Ken Griffey made a leaping catch to rob the Tigers' Luis Gonzalez of a two-run homer in the third inning.Pub Date: 8/10/98

1: The Orioles paid an emotional tribute to former coach and manager Cal Ripken Sr., which included a video memorial, a moment of silence and the unveiling of a commemorative No. 7 in the third base coaching box.2: Right fielder Albert Belle hit a three-run homer during the Orioles' third-inning comeback and became the first Orioles player to receive a curtain call in 1999.3: Center fielder Brady Anderson, who had suffered through an injury-ravaged 1998 season, kicked off the new season with a home run and two singles.

Milestone for Tejada Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada collected his 1,000th career RBI in the third inning when he singled with two outs to score Kevin Millar and produce a 3-3 tie. The milestone should have arrived in the first inning, but Seattle Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt put it on hold. Betancourt made a sprawling stop of Tejada's grounder up the middle, holding him to an infield hit and preventing Nick Markakis from scoring. High and low Third baseman Melvin Mora had plenty of time to make two plays in the third inning.

Calvert Hall took a right turn and stayed in the chase for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title while visiting McDonogh took a turn for worse yesterday.No. 4 Calvert Hall shut out No. 8 McDonogh, 6-0, behind senior right-hander Joe Pease in what has not been a good week for either perennial MIAA contender, especially McDonogh.Calvert Hall (11-5, 3-1) dropped a 3-2 decision in eight innings to No. 5 Gilman on Monday with the last two Greyhounds runs coming after two were out. Meanwhile, the Eagles (8-4, 2-3)

BOSTON -- When Butch Hobson pulled starting pitcher Mike Gardiner with two out in the seventh inning yesterday, he had a lot of people questioning his motive, not to mention his sanity.By the time the inning was over, the rookie Red Sox manager was wondering if he ever was going to push the right button. The Orioles got three straight hits off reliever Peter Hoy, scoring three times to tie the score, 4-4."I was thinking everything I do ain't working," Hobson said. "Maybe this will turn it around."

A recap of the Orioles' 7-5 win over the Astros last night: On the offensive The Orioles knocked around Astros starter Shawn Chacon for six earned runs in five innings. Chacon walked Kevin Millar with the bases loaded to put the Orioles on the board in the third inning. In the fourth, Ramon Hernandez and Alex Cintron connected for long home runs off Chacon as the Orioles built a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Orioles totaled 11 hits and also got a home run from Aubrey Huff. A painful at-bat Facing former teammate Brian Burres in the third inning, Miguel Tejada lined a ball off his left knee.

The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in a seven-run third inning that has opened up Saturday afternoon's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Orioles lead the Red Sox 8-0 after an inning that was capped by third baseman Mark Reynolds' three-run homer over the Green Monster in left, his second in the last 24 hours after going homerless for 76 at bats. Center fielder Adam Jones also hit a two-run homer, a mammoth two-run blast that cleared the Green Monster and landed on Landsdowne Street.

June 24, 1988: Roger Clemens exited the game in the third inning as the Orioles beat the Red Sox, 6-2.

Cal Ripken World Series White Plains rides 9-run third inning to 12-5 victory The Maryland state champs from White Plains scored nine runs in the third inning for a 12-5 win over Willamette Valley, Ore., at the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen on Monday. Outfielder Brett Konzen went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. David Larson recorded the win for White Plains (2-1), giving up just one run in three innings of work against the Pacific Northwest champions (1-1)

Interim manager Juan Samuel expects inconsistency from his young pitchers; he knows ups and downs are what he's going to get when he writes their names on the lineup card. That still doesn't make it easy to deal with what he has received the past two games, when the organization's two most-heralded young hurlers heading into the season were chased early in thorough and embarrassing losses, the latest Monday's 8-1 thrashing by the Tampa Bay Rays. "It's getting to the point where we don't know which guy is going to show," Samuel said.

Orioles interim manager Juan Samuel has preached patience with his young pitchers, saying inconsistency is part of the maturation process and the occasional rough outing is expected. Expected, maybe, but still unseemly to witness. It's made even worse when the club's young starters take consecutive beatings at the hands of American League East rivals. Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman became the second straight Orioles starter to fail to complete three innings when he allowed seven earned runs in the third Monday night as the Tampa Bay Rays bashed the Orioles, 8-1, at Camden Yards.

There have been glimpses of the Brad Bergesen from last season. He retired 14 straight and took a two-hitter into the eighth inning of his last start, against the Oakland Athletics. He pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on May 6 and then allowed only one run over 7 2/3 innings in his next start against the Seattle Mariners. But those starts have been more the exception than the norm for Bergesen, whose 2009 form remains more elusive than ever. Bergesen allowed six earned runs, got just seven outs and never even gave his team a chance to break its losing streak in the Orioles' 9-1 loss to New York on Wednesday night before an announced 44,465 at Yankee Stadium.