The O's Take the Rangers in a Strange Three Game Set

Baltimore and Texas both come into the series around the .500 mark. The Orioles take the first two fairly easily but lose the third game in a nail-biter. The series features two shutout wins and a Baltimore blowout.

Game One: Bal 4, TEX 0

W: Boddicker (2-0)
L: Medich (1-1)

Mike Boddicker is virtually unhittable for the Orioles, firing a five-hit complete game shutout. The game doesn't feature much hitting -- two of the four Orioles' runs come on John Lowenstein groundouts off Doc Medich, who pitched fairly well in the loss. Three Ranger errors didn't help their chances.

Game Two: BAL 13, TEX 2
W: Davis (3-0)
L: Hough (3-1)

Charlie Hough couldn't get his fingers around his knuckler, and the Orioles' bats pounded him for nine runs off nine hits in 3.1 innings of agony. Reliever Greg Harris came in and immediately gave up homers to Eddie Murray and Larry Sheets before settling down. It was that kind of day for the Rangers. Murray drove in four with a grand slam, and Cal Ripken Jr. also homered and knocked in three. Curiously, Orioles' starter Storm Davis was ejected in the seventh for arguing a walk, leaving with an 11-2 lead and having no real reason to complain.

Game Three: Tex 1, Bal 0
W: Tanana (3-1)
L: Flanagan (0-4)
W: Kern (3)

Mike Flanagan and Frank Tanana engaged in an old-fashioned pitchers duel. Flanagan, coming in with an ERA over 7, pitched his way back to respectability, only giving up a leadoff homer to Texas's Billy Sample. But, strangely, that was all the Rangers needed, as Tanana only allowed six hits and no runs in 7.2 innings of work - despite giving up four walks and watching Texas commit three errors. But reliever Jim Kern keep the shutout intact, allowing a hit and an error in the ninth but getting out of the jam on a Doug Decinces double play and a hard hit fly ball out from pitch hitter Fred Lynn.