Relieving in both games, Sparky Lyle gained his 21st and 22nd saves as the Yankees defeated the Orioles in a twi-night doubleheader, 5-2 and 2-1. The Yankees won the opener by scoring all their runs in the seventh inning on six hits and an error. Don Buford homered for the Orioles.

In the nightcap, the Orioles counted in the third when Paul Blair reached second base on an error by Hal Lanier and came home on a single by Johnny Oates. The Yankees were shut out by Doyle Alexander until rallying for their two runs in the eighth on a double by Johnny Callison, pass to Horace Clarke, infield out by Bernie Allen and single by Bobby Murcer. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 5, Baltimore Orioles 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, July      31, 1972 (Night game) at Memorial Stadium
Yankees      0  0  0    0  0  0    5  0  0  -   5  9  1
Orioles      0  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   2  8  2


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clarke 2b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .254      Buford lf             5   1   2   1     0   0   .232
Allen 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .261      Belanger ss           4   1   2   0     0   0   .189
Murcer cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .276      Grich 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .288
White lf              3   1   1   0     1   0   .272      Robinson 3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .259
Blomberg 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .290      Powell 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .219
Callison rf           3   1   0   0     1   0   .222      Rettenmund rf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .243
Munson c              4   1   3   1     0   0   .282      Blair cf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .211
Kenney ss             2   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Etchebarren c         3   0   1   0     0   0   .195
  Alou ph             1   1   1   1     0   0   .274        Johnson ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .236
  Lanier ss           1   0   0   0     0   0   .188      Dobson p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .158
Peterson p            3   0   0   1     0   1   .204        Leonhard p          0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Lyle p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .083        Baylor ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .261
                                                            Scott p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Salmon ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               34   5   9   4     3   3             Totals               36   2   8   2     1   1

Time of Game: 2:21
Left on Base: Yankees 5, Orioles 8
DP: Yankees 0, Orioles 2
Errors: Kenney, Powell, Etchebarren
Doubles: Murcer (17), Munson (10), Etchebarren (6), Belanger (5)
Home Runs: Buford (3)
GIDP: Allen (3), Kenney (5)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Peterson W(11-11)       7     7   2   2   0   0   1  29   3.11
Lyle SV(21)             2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   1.26
Totals                  9     8   2   2   1   1   1  37

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dobson L(12-10)         6.1   7   5   4   3   2   0  26   2.55
Leonhard                0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.70
Scott                   2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   2.50
Totals                  9     9   5   4   3   3   0  37

Passed Balls: Munson (6)

Umpires: HP - Bill Deegan, 1B - Larry McCoy, 2B - Jim Honochick, 3B - Lou DiMuro


YANKEES 1ST: Clarke walked; Allen grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Clarke out at second]; Murcer
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Buford singled to right; Belanger flied out to
center; Grich singled to left [Buford to second]; Robinson flied
out to left; Powell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

YANKEES 2ND: White grounded out (pitcher to first); Blomberg
flied out to right; Callison grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: Rettenmund flied out to center; Blair grounded out
(shortstop to first); Etchebarren doubled; Munson allowed a
passed ball [Etchebarren to third]; Dobson grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Munson singled to right; Kenney grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Munson out at second];
Peterson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: Buford grounded out (third to first); Belanger
flied out to right; Grich flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

YANKEES 4TH: Clarke grounded out (second to first); Allen
grounded out (second to first); Murcer was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Robinson flied out to left; Powell grounded out
(first unassisted); Rettenmund reached on an error by Kenney;
Blair flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0,
Orioles 0.

YANKEES 5TH: White walked; Blomberg forced White (second to
shortstop); Callison flied out to center; Munson grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 5TH: Etchebarren flied out to left; Dobson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Buford grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

YANKEES 6TH: Kenney grounded out (second to first); Peterson
flied out to center; Clarke singled to left; Allen flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 6TH: Belanger doubled to left; Grich grounded out
(shortstop to first); Robinson grounded out (shortstop to
first); Powell singled to right [Belanger scored]; Rettenmund
forced Powell (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 0, Orioles 1.

YANKEES 7TH: Murcer doubled to right; On a bunt White singled
[Murcer to third]; Blomberg singled to right [Murcer scored,
White to third, Blomberg out at second (second to shortstop)];
Callison walked; On a bunt Munson singled [White scored,
Callison to second]; ALOU BATTED FOR KENNEY; Alou singled to
right [Callison scored, Munson to third, Alou to second (error
by Powell)]; LEONHARD REPLACED DOBSON (PITCHING); Peterson
reached on a fielder's choice [Munson scored (RBI), Alou scored
(error by Etchebarren) (unearned) (no RBI), Peterson to
second]; Thurman Munson ran into Andy Etchebarren, who
dropped the ball; Clarke flied out to left; Allen singled to
third [Peterson to third]; Murcer flied out to center; 5 R (4
ER), 6 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 7TH: LANIER REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING SS); Blair flied out
to center; Etchebarren flied out to left; BAYLOR BATTED FOR
LEONHARD; Baylor grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 5, Orioles 1.

YANKEES 8TH: SCOTT REPLACED BAYLOR (PITCHING); White grounded
out (shortstop to first); Blomberg made an out to shortstop;
Callison popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 5, Orioles 1.

ORIOLES 8TH: Buford homered; Belanger singled to center; LYLE
REPLACED PETERSON (PITCHING); Grich forced Belanger (shortstop
to second); Robinson made an out to shortstop; Powell forced
Grich (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 5,
Orioles 2.

YANKEES 9TH: Munson doubled to left; Lanier grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Munson to third]; Lyle struck out; Clarke
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 5, Orioles 2.

ORIOLES 9TH: Rettenmund grounded out (shortstop to first); Blair
walked; JOHNSON BATTED FOR ETCHEBARREN; Johnson singled to left
[Blair to second]; SALMON BATTED FOR SCOTT; Salmon was called
out on strikes; Buford forced Johnson (second to shortstop); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Orioles 2.