Series 15: Orioles take two of three from Flashes

Flashes 24-21, Orioles 19-26

Game One: Flashes 8, Orioles 6 (11 innings)
WP: Watson (2-1)
LP: Leonhard (0-3)
HR: Powell (8), Hafey (10), Medwick (5)

Game Two: Orioles 6, Flashes 5
WP: Cuellar (4-4)
LP: Barnes(3-4)
Save: Watt (4)
HR: Kelly (9), Blair (8)

Game Three: Orioles 2, Flashes 0
WP: McNally (3-5)
LP: Grimes (4-7)
Save: Hall (4)
HR: F Robinson (15), B Robinson (9)

Fordham held the lead at the end of just three innings in the series at last-place Baltimore but managed to win one of the games.

That was the opener, in which the Flashes rallied for two runs with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings against Eddie Watt. Joe Medwick singled, Jim Bottomley doubled and Chick Hafey plated both with a double. The two teams exchanged three-run innings in the seventh, with the Flashes getting homers from Medwick and Hafey against Oriole starter Jim Palmer. The Orioles countered with a single from pinch-hitter Dave May, walks by Don Buford and Davey Johnson, an RBI grounder from Frank Robinson and a two-run single by Boog Powell. The winning tallies off Dave Leonhard  came on Bottomley's two-run single, which plated Fred Lindstrom (single) and Medwick (double). Mule Watson threw four innings of one-run ball for the win.

The Orioles had a comeback win of their own in the second game. Fordham scored three times off Mike Cuellar in the sixth inning for a 4-1 lead, getting doubles from Medwick and Hafey followed by a homer from George Kelly. Paul Blair's two-run homer in the bottom of the inning cut the margin to 4-3, and the Orioles scored three more in the eighth for a 6-4 lead. Frank Robinson singled to lead off, stole second and scored on Blair's one-out single. Blair stole and took third on Hank Gowdy's throwing error. With two outs, the Orioles got consecutive singles from Elrod Hendricks, Mark Belanger, pinch-hitter Curt Motton and Buford for two more runs bfore Wayland Dean got the final out. Watt gave up a run in the ninth but held the lead.

Dave McNally was brilliant in the finale, allowing just five hits. He worked around leadoff doubles in the second and fourth innings but departed after allowing back-to-back singles with two outs in the ninth. The Robinsons, Frank and Brooks, hit solo homers for the Orioles runs, Brooks in the fourth off Burleigh Grimes and Frank in the eighth off Jack Bentley.

Pitcher availability: For the Flashes, Bentley pitched two innings in the finale. All other relievers are fully available for their next game. For the Orioles, Dick Hall faced just one hitter in the finale.

Projected rotations: Flashes -- Haines-Nehf-McQuillan-Grimes-Haines-Barnes. Orioles -- Phoebus-Hardin-Cuellar-McNally-Palmer-Phoebus