The Yankees' "magic number" for clinching the East Division title remained at three when the Orioles posted a 2-1 victory to complete a sweep of the four-game series. The Orioles' belated drive cut the Yankees' lead to 7½ games. The Yankees counted their run off Mike Flanagan in the fifth inning on consecutive singles by Otto Velez, Fred Stanley and Willie Randolph.

The Orioles tied the score against Catfish Hunter in the seventh when Bobby Grich doubled and Ken Singleton tripled. The winning run followed in the ninth. Paul Blair led off with a single. Grich sacrificed, bunting to Graig Nettles, and Blair raced to third when the Yankees left the bag uncovered. After an intentional pass to Carlos May, Singleton hit a single, driving in Blair. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 2, New York Yankees 1
Game Played on Thursday, September 23, 1976 (Night game) at Yankee Stadium I
Orioles      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  6  0
Yankees      0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  6  0


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bumbry lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Randolph 2b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .267
Blair cf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .201      White cf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .285
Grich 2b              3   1   1   0     0   0   .275      Munson c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .303
L. May dh             3   0   0   0     1   0   .257      Piniella rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .291
  Bailor pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Chambliss 1b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .291
Singleton rf          4   0   2   2     0   0   .272        Rivers pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .313
  Shopay pr,rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Nettles 3b            3   0   0   0     1   3   .244
Muser 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .231      Tovar dh              4   0   0   0     0   0   .171
DeCinces 3b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .234      Velez lf              3   1   1   0     0   1   .238
Belanger ss           3   0   1   0     0   1   .269      Stanley ss            3   0   1   0     0   1   .239
Dempsey c             2   0   0   0     0   0   .194      Hunter p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  R. Jackson ph       1   0   0   0     0   1   .280
  Duncan c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .201
Flanagan p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   6   2     1   3             Totals               32   1   6   1     2   8

Time of Game: 2:03   Attendance: 17,238
Left on Base: Orioles 4, Yankees 6
DP: Orioles 1, Yankees 1
Doubles: Grich (31)
Triples: Singleton (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Grich (6)
GIDP: White (12)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Flanagan W(3-4)         9     6   1   1   2   8   0  34   4.10
Totals                  9     6   1   1   2   8   0  34

Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hunter L(16-15)         9     6   2   2   1   3   0  33   3.56
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   3   0  33

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


ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry flied out to center; Blair flied out to
right; Grich flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles
0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Randolph lined to second; White walked; Munson
flied out to right; Piniella flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: L. May flied out to left; Singleton grounded out
(second to first); Muser grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Chambliss grounded out (third to first); Nettles
was called out on strikes; Tovar popped to catcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

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

YANKEES 3RD: Velez flied out to right; Stanley struck out;
Randolph grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Bumbry grounded out (shortstop to first); Blair
lined to second; Grich flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 4TH: White singled to right; Munson was called out on
strikes; Piniella singled to center [White to second]; Chambliss
popped to third; Nettles walked [White to third, Piniella to
second]; Tovar forced Nettles (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

ORIOLES 5TH: L. May flied out to right; Singleton flied out to
center; Muser singled to center; DeCinces popped to first; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 5TH: Velez singled to center; On a bunt Stanley singled
[Velez to second]; Randolph singled to left [Velez scored,
Stanley to second]; White grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Stanley to third, Randolph out at second];
Munson grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Orioles 0, Yankees 1.

ORIOLES 6TH: Belanger popped to second; Dempsey grounded out
(third to first); Bumbry grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 6TH: Piniella popped to second; Chambliss struck out;
Nettles struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Yankees 1.

ORIOLES 7TH: Blair flied out to left; Grich doubled to left; L.
May flied out to left; Singleton tripled to center [Grich
scored]; Muser popped to third; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles
1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 7TH: Tovar grounded out (shortstop to first); Velez was
called out on strikes; Stanley grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1, Yankees 1.

ORIOLES 8TH: DeCinces was called out on strikes; Belanger
singled to right; R. JACKSON BATTED FOR DEMPSEY; R. Jackson
struck out; Bumbry forced Belanger (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 8TH: DUNCAN REPLACED R. JACKSON (PLAYING C ); Randolph
grounded out (third to first); White struck out; Munson grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1, Yankees
1.

ORIOLES 9TH: Blair singled to center; Grich out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to first) [Blair to third]; L. May was walked
intentionally; BAILOR RAN FOR L. MAY; Singleton singled to right
[Blair scored, Bailor to third]; SHOPAY RAN FOR SINGLETON; Muser
flied into a double play (left to left to catcher) [Bailor out
at home]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 9TH: BAILOR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); SHOPAY STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Piniella grounded out (shortstop to
first); Chambliss singled to left; RIVERS RAN FOR CHAMBLISS;
Nettles struck out; Tovar flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Orioles 2, Yankees 1.