The Orioles stalled the Yankees' drive for the East Division title by sweeping a twi-night doubleheader, 2-0 and 5-2. With those losses, the Yankees' lead was cut to 8½ lengths with 11 games remaining on their schedule and 10 left for the Orioles. Jim Palmer pitched the shutout in the opener for his 22nd victory of the season. Al Bumbry scored both runs in support of Palmer. After reaching second on errors by Chris Chambliss and Dock Ellis on the same play in the fourth inning, Bumbry came home on a single by Lee May. Then in the sixth, Bumbry singled, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and counted on a single by Bobby Grich.

In the nightcap, ex-Yankee Rudy May was the winner and Tippy Martinez, another ex-Yankee, saved the game. The Orioles were shut out by Ed Figueroa until the eighth when they rallied for four runs on a single by Tom Shopay, pass to Bumbry, sacrifice by Paul Blair, double by Grich, triple by May and single by Ken Singleton. Kiko Garcia hit his first major league homer to wrap up the scoring in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 2, New York Yankees 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, September 22, 1976 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I
Orioles      0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  7  1
Yankees      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  2


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bumbry lf             4   2   1   0     0   1   .254      Randolph 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .268
Blair cf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .202      White cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .285
Grich 2b              4   0   1   1     0   2   .273      Nettles 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .245
L. May dh             4   0   1   1     0   1   .256      Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .292
Singleton rf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .271      C. May lf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Muser 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .227      Gamble rf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .233
DeCinces 3b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .238      Locklear dh           3   0   1   0     0   0   .239
Belanger ss           3   0   0   0     0   2   .267      Hendricks c           3   0   0   0     0   0   .179
Dempsey c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .196      Mason ss              3   0   0   0     0   1   .181
Palmer p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ellis p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   2   7   2     0   7             Totals               31   0   4   0     0   2

Time of Game: 1:57
Left on Base: Orioles 4, Yankees 4
DP: Orioles 1, Yankees 1
Errors: Muser, Chambliss, Ellis
Stolen Bases: Bumbry (38), Grich (13), Blair (15)
Sacrifice Hits: Blair (11)
GIDP: Muser (9), C. May (7)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Palmer W(22-13)         9     4   0   0   0   2   0  31   2.51
Totals                  9     4   0   0   0   2   0  31

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis L(16-8)           9     7   2   1   0   7   0  33   3.10
Totals                  9     7   2   1   0   7   0  33

Wild Pitches: Ellis (4)

Umpires: HP - Dave Phillips, 1B - Rich Garcia, 2B - Lou DiMuro, 3B - Bill Kunkel


ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry struck out; Blair popped to second; Grich
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Randolph grounded out (third to first); White
popped to third; Nettles popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: L. May popped to first; Singleton struck out; Muser
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Chambliss flied out to center; C. May reached on an
error by Muser (assist by Grich); Gamble flied out to center;
Locklear singled to left [C. May to second]; Hendricks flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: DeCinces popped to catcher; Belanger struck out;
Dempsey grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Mason flied out to left; Randolph flied out to
center; White struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0,
Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Bumbry reached on an error by Chambliss [Bumbry to
second (error by Ellis)]; Blair out on a sacrifice bunt (third
to first) [Bumbry to third]; Grich struck out; L. May singled to
right [Bumbry scored (unearned), L. May out at second (right to
shortstop)]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 4TH: Nettles singled to right; Chambliss singled to
center [Nettles to second]; C. May grounded into a double play
(third to third to second) [Nettles out at third, Chambliss out
at second]; Gamble flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Orioles 1, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 5TH: Singleton flied out to left; Muser singled to
center; Ellis threw a wild pitch [Muser to second]; DeCinces
grounded out (third to first) [Muser to third]; Belanger
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Orioles 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 5TH: Locklear popped to shortstop; Hendricks grounded
out (first to pitcher); Mason flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 6TH: Dempsey flied out to right; Bumbry singled to
center; Bumbry stole second; Blair flied out to right [Bumbry to
third]; Grich singled to left [Bumbry scored]; Grich stole
second; L. May struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 2,
Yankees 0.

YANKEES 6TH: Randolph flied out to center; White grounded out
(first to pitcher); Nettles flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 7TH: Singleton singled to center; Muser grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Singleton out at
second]; DeCinces singled to center; Belanger was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 7TH: Chambliss flied out to left; C. May flied out to
center; Gamble grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 8TH: Dempsey grounded out (shortstop to first); Bumbry
grounded out (first unassisted); Blair singled to center; Blair
stole second; Grich flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Orioles 2, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 8TH: Locklear popped to third; Hendricks flied out to
center; Mason struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 2,
Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 9TH: L. May grounded out (shortstop to first); Singleton
grounded out (first unassisted); Muser grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 9TH: Randolph singled to right; White forced Randolph
(shortstop to second); Nettles flied out to right; Chambliss
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 0.