Jim Palmer came within two outs of a perfect game while pitching the Orioles to a 9-1 victory over the Rangers. The righthander retired the first 25 batters in succession before Ken Suarez wrecked his bid with a single. Jim Mason then walked and Dave Nelson singled for the Rangers' run, but Toby Harrah grounded into a double play to end the game. The Orioles decided the outcome early, scoring five runs, three on a triple by Elrod Hendricks, in the first inning. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 9, Texas Rangers 1
Game Played on Saturday, June      16, 1973 (Night game) at Memorial Stadium
Rangers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  2  0
Orioles      5  0  0    3  0  0    1  0  x  -   9  9  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Nelson 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .298      Bumbry lf             3   2   1   0     2   2   .290
Harrah 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .237      Coggins rf            5   0   1   0     0   0   .261
Spencer 1b            3   0   0   0     0   2   .284      Grich 2b              5   1   1   2     0   0   .244
Carty lf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .194      Davis dh              4   1   1   0     1   1   .283
  Grieve lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .111      Williams 1b           2   1   1   1     1   0   .211
Johnson dh            3   0   0   0     0   2   .292      Blair cf              3   2   3   3     0   0   .273
Biittner rf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Robinson 3b           3   1   0   0     1   1   .206
  Burroughs rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .224      Hendricks c           4   0   1   3     0   2   .222
Harris cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .246      Belanger ss           2   1   0   0     2   0   .222
Suarez c              3   1   1   0     0   0   .321      Palmer p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Mason ss              2   0   0   0     1   1   .266
Dunning p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bibby p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Allen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Paul p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Foucault p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   1   2   1     1   6             Totals               31   9   9   9     7   6

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance:  8,587
Left on Base: Rangers 1, Orioles 7
DP: Rangers 1, Orioles 1
Doubles: Blair (6)
Triples: Hendricks (1), Coggins (5)
Home Runs: Blair (2)
Stolen Bases: Bumbry 2 (10), Belanger (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Blair (1)
GIDP: Harrah (5), Hendricks (2)
Hit by Pitch: Williams (2,by Allen)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dunning L(0-4)          0.2   3   5   5   3   0   0   8   6.00
Bibby                   1.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   5   8.83
Allen                   1.1   4   3   3   2   0   0  10  15.43
Paul                    2.2   0   0   0   1   2   0   9   5.60
Foucault                2     2   1   1   0   3   1   8   3.78
Totals                  8     9   9   9   7   6   1  40

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Palmer W(7-4)           9     2   1   1   1   6   0  29   2.39
Totals                  9     2   1   1   1   6   0  29

Hit by Pitch: Allen (2)

Umpires: HP - Merle Anthony, 1B - Bill Deegan, 2B - Frank Umont, 3B - Don Denkinger


RANGERS 1ST: Nelson flied out to center; Harrah flied out to
right; Spencer was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry walked; Bumbry stole second; Coggins popped
to third in foul territory; Grich grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Bumbry to third]; Davis walked; Williams singled to
left [Davis to second, Bumbry scored]; Blair doubled [Williams
to third, Davis scored]; Robinson walked; Hendricks tripled to
right [Robinson scored, Blair scored, Williams scored]; BIBBY
REPLACED DUNNING (PITCHING); Belanger walked; Bumbry was called
out on strikes; 5 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 5.

RANGERS 2ND: Carty flied out to right; Johnson struck out;
Biittner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0,
Orioles 5.

ORIOLES 2ND: Coggins flied out to right; Grich popped to third
in foul territory; Davis flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 5.

RANGERS 3RD: Harris flied out to left; Suarez flied out to
right; Mason flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
0, Orioles 5.

ORIOLES 3RD: ALLEN REPLACED BIBBY (PITCHING); Williams was hit
by a pitch; Blair singled to left [Williams to second]; Robinson
flied out to center; Hendricks grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Blair out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 5.

RANGERS 4TH: Nelson grounded out (third to first); Harrah flied
out to left; Spencer flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 5.

ORIOLES 4TH: Belanger walked; Bumbry singled to left [Belanger
to second]; Belanger stole third and Bumbry stole second;
Coggins flied out to left; Grich singled to left [Bumbry scored,
Belanger scored]; Davis singled to right [Grich to third];
Williams walked [Davis to second]; PAUL REPLACED ALLEN
(PITCHING); Blair hit a sacrifice fly to center [Grich scored,
Davis to third]; Robinson was called out on strikes; 3 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 8.

RANGERS 5TH: Carty grounded out (second to first); Johnson
struck out; Biittner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 8.

ORIOLES 5TH: Hendricks struck out; Belanger popped to first;
Bumbry walked; Coggins popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 8.

RANGERS 6TH: Harris grounded out (first unassisted); Suarez
grounded out (first unassisted); Mason was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 8.

ORIOLES 6TH: Grich flied out to center; Davis grounded out
(second to first); Williams flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 8.

RANGERS 7TH: Nelson grounded out (third to first); Harrah flied
out to center; Spencer struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 8.

ORIOLES 7TH: FOUCAULT REPLACED PAUL (PITCHING); Blair homered;
Robinson flied out to right; Hendricks struck out; Belanger
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 9.

RANGERS 8TH: Carty lined to second; Johnson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Biittner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 9.

ORIOLES 8TH: GRIEVE REPLACED CARTY (PLAYING LF); BURROUGHS
REPLACED BIITTNER (PLAYING RF); Bumbry struck out; Coggins
tripled; Grich grounded out (pitcher to first); Davis struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 9.

RANGERS 9TH: Harris struck out; Suarez singled to center; Mason
walked [Suarez to second]; Nelson singled to center [Suarez
scored, Mason to third]; Harrah grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Nelson out at second]; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 1, Orioles 9.