Series 11: Black Caps take two of three from Orioles

Orioles 11-22, Black Caps 15-16

Game One: Black Caps 7, Orioles 2
WP: Mathis (2-1)
LP: Palmer (2-4)
HR: Pennington (6)

Game Two: Orioles 4, Black Caps 3
WP: Watt (2-0)
LP: Cooper (0-2)
HR: F Robinson (12), Salmon (4)

Game Three: Black Caps 6, Orioles 5 (10 innings)
WP: Williams (2-3)
LP: Watt (2-1)
HR: Radcliff (2), F Robinson (13), Powell (7), Palm (5)

Call it the series of situational hitting: There were five sacrifice flies in the three games, including two game-winners.

The opener was an easy win for Lincoln Park. The two teams exchanged sac flies in the second inning, but the Black Caps scored twice in the third off Jim Palmer and two more in the sixth, one of them when Palmer was called for a balk with the bases loaded. Verdell Mathis went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks. Art Pennington was 4-for-5 with a homer, a double, two runs and two RBIs.

Frank Robinson's two run homer in the fourth inning gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the second game. Chico Salmon hit a pinch-hit shot in the eighth to make the score 3-1. Buck O'Neil tripled home two runs in the top of the ninth off Eddie Watt to tie the game, but the Orioles got three singles and a sac fly from Mark Belanger off Andy Cooper in the bottom of the inning for the win.

The finale was a back-and-forth affair. Lincoln Park scored two in the first inning off Dave McNally' Baltimore got one back in the bottom of the inning. Alec Radcliff and Spoony Palm hit solo homers in the third and fourth innings for a 4-1 lead. Boog Powell got the Orioles to within one run with a two-run homer off starter Rube Currie in the fifth, and Frank Robinson tied it with a solo homer off Bill Drake in the seventh. Salmon had a pinch-hit double off Hilton Smith in the eighth and scored on Don Buford's double to give the Orioles the lead, but in the top of the ninth pinch hitter Vic Harris singled off Watt, Bonnie Serrell doubled and Neil Robinson tied it with a sac fly. In the top of the 10th, Jerry Benjamin singled and went to third on Pennington's single, and Palm brought him in with yet another sac fly. Tom Williams went two innings for the win.

Pitcher availability: For the Black Caps, Currie sits three to relieve, four to start. Cockrell sits two to relieve, three to start. Mathis sits one to relieve, two to start. Williams and Smith sit one. Drake pitched one inning in the finale. For the Orioles, Watt sits one game. Hall pitched two innings in the finale.

Projected starters: Orioles -- Phoebus-Hardin-Cuellar-Palmer-McNally-Phoebus-Cuellar. Black Caps -- Holland-Streeter-Drake(?).