Long balls lead Rangers to victory
Posted: Sunday May 31, 1998 12:22 AM
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Long Juan: Gonzalez (right) smacked Baltimore pitching for two homers that traveled a total of 801 feet (AP) |
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Texas Rangers used three long home runs to snag a much-needed win at a place where victories have been difficult to attain.
Juan Gonzalez homered twice and Lee Stevens gave Texas the lead with a two-run shot in the eighth inning as the Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Baltimore 10-8 Saturday night.
The Rangers blew a five-run lead before rallying for their first win at Camden Yards since June 1996 -- a span of nine games.
Gonzalez's two homers totaled 801 feet and Stevens' blast hit the roof of a barbecue stand on Eutaw Street, well beyond the right-field wall and 415 feet from the plate.
"He got a pitch he could handle and put a big-time swing on it in a big-time situation," Texas manager Johnny Oates said of Stevens' homer, which went out so fast right fielder Jeffrey Hammonds never bothered to move.
Ivan Rodriguez led off the eighth with his third hit, a single off Sidney Ponson (0-2), and Stevens his 12th homer, only the second in 18 games, to put Texas ahead 7-6.
"I was just locked in and trying to be aggressive on the first pitch," Stevens said. "I've been out of the groove lately and I'm just trying to get a good swing down."
The home run ruined an impressive comeback by the Orioles, who made up a 5-0 deficit against seven-game winner Rick Helling with four runs in the fourth and two in the sixth.
"I don't think we should hang our heads on this loss," Orioles manager Ray Miller said. "We didn't have one reliever because of a suspension and we have a lot of injuries."
Orioles reliever Alan Mills was serving the second day of two-game suspension for his part in a May 19 brawl with the Yankees, and Bobby Munoz was made an emergency starter in place of Scott Kamieniecki, who was placed on the disabled list with a stiff neck.
"Our bullpen tried to cover nine innings," Miller said. "My biggest concern was what to do if we tied it and forced extra innings."
Gonzalez gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer, then capped a four-run third with a three-run shot measured at 420 feet.
The two home runs, both off Munoz, gave Gonzalez 15 for the season and increased his AL-best RBI total to 66. He has five homers and 15 RBIs in his last nine games.
"One of the bad things about this game is that our starter wasn't supposed to throw strikes to Gonzalez and he ends up hitting two out," Miller lamented.
Vying for his third career three-homer game, Gonzalez struck out against Arthur Rhodes in the fifth and again in the seventh. He singled in the ninth off Norm Charlton to spark a three-run inning.
Dan Patterson gave up one-out solo homers to Rafael Palmeiro, his 12th, and Roberto Alomar, his fifth, in the ninth to make it 10-8.
John Wetteland, the sixth Texas pitcher, got the last two outs for his 14th save.
Down 5-4, the Orioles rallied in the sixth. With two outs and two on, Xavier Hernandez (2-1) was summoned to face pinch-hitter Joe Carter, who lined the first pitch into the left-field corner for a double. It was his first hit in eight at-bats this season as a pinch hitter.
The Orioles stranded five runners over the first three innings and trailed 5-0 before breaking through in the fourth. B.J. Surhoff and Cal Ripken hit successive doubles before Mike Bordick singled in a run. Brady Anderson followed with his second double of the game and Harold Baines hit a two-run single.
Helling, seeking to tie teammate Aaron Sele for the AL lead in victories, allowed five runs, eight hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings.
Notes: Ripken went 1-for-5 on the 16th anniversary of the start of his consecutive games streak, which is at 2,532. ... It was the 29th multi-homer game for Gonzalez, who has 10 homers and 29 RBIs at Camden Yards. ... Although his batting average is .183, Anderson has reached base in 25 of 31 starts.
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