Rallying for three runs in the ninth inning, the Orioles defeated the Athletics, 5-3, and moved into a tie for first place in the A. L. East with the rained-out Tigers. The A's, meanwhile, dropped a full game behind the White Sox in the West. The White Sox also were rained out.

The Athletics had homers by Reggie Jackson and Dave Duncan against one by Terry Crowley for the Orioles and held a 3-2 lead going into the ninth. Davey Johnson singled to ignite the Orioles' rally and gave way on the paths to Mark Belanger, who took second on a sacrifice by Johnny Oates and scored the tying run on a pinch-single by Tommy Davis. Tom Shopay came into run for Davis and scored the deciding run on a triple by Don Buford, who also crossed the plate on a wild pitch by Rollie Fingers. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 5, Oakland Athletics 3
Game Played on Friday, August    25, 1972 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Orioles      1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  3  -   5  8  0
A's          1  1  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3  7  0


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Buford lf             4   2   2   1     1   0   .217      Campaneris ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .239
Rettenmund cf         1   0   0   0     0   1   .243      Rudi lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .314
  Baylor ph,cf        4   0   0   0     0   1   .257      Jackson cf            4   1   1   1     0   2   .253
Crowley rf            4   1   1   1     1   0   .245      Bando 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .242
Powell 1b             3   0   1   0     2   0   .240      Epstein 1b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .276
Grich ss,2b           3   0   1   1     1   2   .272      Mangual rf            4   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Robinson 3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .248      Duncan c              4   1   1   1     0   1   .228
Johnson 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .232      Cullen 2b             3   0   2   1     0   0   .246
  Belanger pr,ss      0   1   0   0     0   0   .189        Mincher ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .215
Oates c               3   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Hunter p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .171
Cuellar p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .123        Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .357
  Davis ph            1   0   1   1     0   0   .263
  Shopay pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .226
  Watt p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   5   8   4     5   7             Totals               33   3   7   3     1   5

Time of Game: 2:09   Attendance: 14,834
Left on Base: Orioles 8, A's 5
DP: Orioles 0, A's 0
Triples: Buford (2), Mangual (2)
Home Runs: Crowley (9), Jackson (22), Duncan (18)
Sacrifice Hits: Cuellar (5), Oates (3), Hunter (9)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cuellar W(13-10)        8     7   3   3   0   5   2  31   2.75
Watt SV(5)              1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   2.18
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   5   2  35

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hunter L(16-7)          8.1   8   5   5   4   7   1  37   2.13
Fingers                 0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.29
Totals                  9     8   5   5   5   7   1  40

Wild Pitches: Fingers (1)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Larry Barnett, 3B - Dave Phillips


ORIOLES 1ST: Buford singled to right; Rettenmund struck out;
Crowley made an out to shortstop; Powell singled to pitcher
[Buford to second]; Grich singled to left [Buford scored, Powell
to second]; Robinson popped to pitcher; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Orioles 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris flied out to right; Rudi flied out to
right; Jackson homered; Bando struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 1, Athletics 1.

ORIOLES 2ND: Johnson made an out to second; Oates flied out to
center; Cuellar struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1,
Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Epstein grounded out (pitcher to first); Mangual
tripled; Duncan struck out; Cullen singled to center [Mangual
scored]; Hunter forced Cullen (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Athletics 2.

ORIOLES 3RD: Buford flied out to right; BAYLOR BATTED FOR
RETTENMUND; Baylor was called out on strikes; Crowley homered;
Powell walked; Grich walked [Powell to second]; Robinson flied
out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 3RD: BAYLOR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Campaneris
flied out to right; Rudi popped to catcher in foul territory;
Jackson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 2, Athletics 2.

ORIOLES 4TH: Johnson flied out to center; Oates struck out;
Cuellar struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics
2.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Bando made an out to second; Epstein flied out to
left; Mangual flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles
2, Athletics 2.

ORIOLES 5TH: Buford made an out to shortstop; Baylor flied out
to right; Crowley flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Duncan lined to pitcher; Cullen singled to right;
Hunter out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Cullen to
second]; Campaneris struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles
2, Athletics 2.

ORIOLES 6TH: Powell grounded out (first unassisted); Grich was
called out on strikes; Robinson grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Rudi flied out to right; Jackson grounded out
(second to first); Bando singled to center; Epstein lined to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics 2.

ORIOLES 7TH: Johnson flied out to left; Oates singled to right;
Cuellar out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Oates to
second]; Buford was walked intentionally; Baylor flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Mangual grounded out (third to first); Duncan
homered; Cullen flied out to center; Hunter singled to left;
Campaneris popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics 3.

ORIOLES 8TH: On a bunt Crowley made an out to pitcher; Powell
walked; Grich struck out; Robinson popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 2, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Rudi flied out to center; Jackson struck out;
Bando flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 2,
Athletics 3.

ORIOLES 9TH: Johnson singled to left; BELANGER RAN FOR JOHNSON;
Oates out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Belanger to
second]; DAVIS BATTED FOR CUELLAR; Davis singled to center
[Belanger scored]; SHOPAY RAN FOR DAVIS; Buford tripled to
center [Shopay scored]; FINGERS REPLACED HUNTER (PITCHING);
Fingers threw a wild pitch [Buford scored]; Baylor grounded out
(second to first); Crowley walked; Powell flied out to left; 3
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 5, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 9TH: WATT REPLACED SHOPAY (PITCHING); BELANGER STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING SS); GRICH CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B);
Epstein walked; Mangual popped to first in foul territory;
Duncan made an out to second; MINCHER BATTED FOR CULLEN; Mincher
forced Epstein (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Orioles 5, Athletics 3.