Frank Robinson, who was on the trading block all winter, hit a tie-breaking double in the fifth inning to enable the world champion Orioles to start the season with a 3-2 victory over the Senators before a crowd of 36,423. Singles by Davey Johnson and Boog Powell preceded Robinson's decisive double. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 3, Washington Senators 2
Game Played on Wednesday, April     7, 1971 (Day game) at Memorial Stadium
Senators     0  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  9  1
Orioles      0  0  1    1  1  0    0  0  x  -   3  9  3


Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harrah ss             5   0   0   0     0   2   .222      Blair cf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
Flood cf              5   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Johnson 2b            3   1   1   0     0   0   .333
Howard lf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .222      Powell 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .250
Epstein 1b            3   1   2   0     0   0   .500      F. Robinson rf        4   0   2   1     0   0   .500
Foy 3b                3   0   2   1     1   0   .400      Rettenmund lf         2   0   0   0     2   0   .000
Maddox rf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .125      B. Robinson 3b        4   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Casanova c            4   0   1   0     0   2   .375      Hendricks c           4   0   1   1     0   0   .250
Cullen 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Belanger ss           3   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Cox p                 2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      McNally p             4   1   2   0     0   0   .500
  Scheinblum ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Janeski p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Billings ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Riddleberger p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   2   9   2     1   6             Totals               32   3   9   3     3   1

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance: 36,423
Left on Base: Senators 10, Orioles 9
DP: Senators 1, Orioles 1
Errors: Harrah, Blair, Johnson, Belanger
Doubles: Casanova (2), F. Robinson (1)
Stolen Bases: Rettenmund (1)
Caught Stealing: Flood (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Johnson (1)
GIDP: Johnson (1)
Hit by Pitch: Epstein (2,by McNally)


Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cox L(0-1)              5     8   3   2   1   0   0  25   3.60
Janeski                 2     1   0   0   2   0   0   8   0.00
Riddleberger            1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8     9   3   2   3   1   0  36

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McNally W(1-0)          9     9   2   2   1   6   0  39   2.00
Totals                  9     9   2   2   1   6   0  39

Hit by Pitch: McNally (1)
Wild Pitches: Cox (1)

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Art Frantz, 2B - Bill Deegan, 3B - Nestor Chylak


SENATORS 1ST: Harrah flied out to left; Flood singled to right;
Howard flied out to right; Epstein singled to center [Flood to
third]; Foy walked [Epstein to second]; Maddox forced Foy
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Senators 0,
Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Blair singled to right; Johnson flied out to left;
Powell popped to shortstop; F. Robinson singled to center [Blair
to third]; Rettenmund grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 0, Orioles 0.

SENATORS 2ND: Casanova struck out; Cullen grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cox struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Senators 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: B. Robinson flied out to center; Hendricks flied
out to center; Belanger flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Senators 0, Orioles 0.

SENATORS 3RD: Harrah was called out on strikes; Flood grounded
out (third to first); Howard singled to left; Epstein singled to
center [Howard to third, Epstein to second (on throw)]; Foy
singled to second [Epstein to third, Howard scored]; Maddox
singled to center [Epstein scored, Foy to third (error by
Blair)]; Casanova popped to shortstop; 2 R, 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Senators 2, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: McNally singled to center; Blair singled to left
[McNally to second]; Johnson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
first) [Blair to second, McNally to third]; Powell grounded out
(second to first) [Blair to third, McNally scored]; F. Robinson
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators
2, Orioles 1.

SENATORS 4TH: Cullen grounded out (pitcher to first); Cox
grounded out (second to first); Harrah grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 4TH: Rettenmund grounded out (third to first); B.
Robinson reached on an error by Harrah; Cox threw a wild pitch
[B. Robinson to second]; Hendricks singled to left [B. Robinson
scored (unearned)]; Belanger flied out to left; McNally forced
Hendricks (third to second); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Senators 2, Orioles 2.

SENATORS 5TH: Flood flied out to center; Howard flied out to
center; Epstein was hit by a pitch; Foy singled to center
[Epstein to third]; Maddox grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 2.

ORIOLES 5TH: Blair flied out to center; Johnson singled to left;
Powell singled to center [Johnson to third]; F. Robinson doubled
to right [Powell to third, Johnson scored]; Rettenmund was
walked intentionally; B. Robinson popped to third; Hendricks
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Senators 2, Orioles 3.

SENATORS 6TH: Casanova doubled to right; Cullen grounded out
(second to first) [Casanova to third]; SCHEINBLUM BATTED FOR
COX; Scheinblum grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrah struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 6TH: JANESKI REPLACED SCHEINBLUM (PITCHING); Belanger
walked; McNally singled to center [Belanger to second]; Blair
flied out to center [Belanger to third]; Johnson grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [McNally out at second];
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 3.

SENATORS 7TH: Flood reached on an error by Johnson; Howard
struck out while Flood was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Epstein grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
0 LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 7TH: Powell grounded out (second to first); F. Robinson
grounded out (third to first); Rettenmund walked; Rettenmund
stole second; B. Robinson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 3.

SENATORS 8TH: Foy reached on an error by Belanger; Maddox flied
out to center; Casanova was called out on strikes; Cullen
singled to left [Foy to second]; BILLINGS BATTED FOR JANESKI;
Billings grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Senators 2, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 8TH: RIDDLEBERGER REPLACED BILLINGS (PITCHING);
Hendricks grounded out (first to pitcher); Belanger struck out;
McNally grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Senators 2, Orioles 3.

SENATORS 9TH: Harrah popped to second; Flood grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howard grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 2, Orioles 3.