Series 17: Orioles take two of three from Flashes

Flashes 26-25, Orioles 22-29

Game One: Orioles 5, Flashes 4
WP: McNally (4-5)
LP: Grimes (4-8)
Save: Watt (5)
HR: Bottomley (10)

Game Two: Orioles 7. Flashes 6
WP: Palmer (4-4)
LP: Haines (5-4)
Save: Richert (6)
HR: Lindstrom (5)

Game Three: Flashes 9, Orioles 6
WP: Watson (3-1)
LP: Phoebus (2-5)
Save: Ryan (4)
HR: Blair 2 (10), B Robinson (10), Medwick 2 (7), Youngs (4)

It was the fifth straight series loss for the Flashes, who are seeing their pennant ambitions fade.

Baltimore scored the first five runs of the opener. Don Buford drove in two runs in the second inning with a base hit, and Brooks Robinson's triple was the key blow in a three-run fifth. The Flashes chipped away at Dave McNally and Eddie Watt, but Paul Blair gunned down Fred Lindstrom at the plate for the final out of the seventh in a pivotal play. and the Orioles hung on for the win.

The Orioles batted around in the fifth inning of the second game to stake Jim Palmer to a 7-2 lead. The Flashes scored last four runs fo the game, but that still left them losers. Lindstromg drove in four runs; he was 4-for-5 with a homer and a double.

Fordham avoided the sweep by winning a duel of long relievers. Paul Blair hit two homers for the Orioles, and Joe Medwick matched them for the Flashes. Boog Powell and Blair committed consecutive errors in the fourth as the Flashes scored three unearned runs off Jim Hardin. Tom Phoebus allowed a pair of two-run homers in three innings to take the loss for Baltimore; Mule Watson went 4.2 innings in relief of Virgil Barnes for the win, with Rosy Ryan entering to get the final out after three straight hits brought the tying run to the plate.

Pitcher availability: For the Flashes, Watson must sit at least three games, preferably four. Ryan pitched two innings in the second game and worked again briefly in the finale; he should sit the next game. For the Orioles, Phoebus pitched three innings of relief and should sit the next two games

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