The Orioles received a setback in the East Division race when they fell short in a ninth-inning rally and lost to the Indians, 3-2. The Indians scored twice in the fourth inning on singles by Rico Carty and Bruce Bochte, an infield out, sacrifice fly by Rick Manning and single by Alfredo Griffin, whose RBI was the first of his major league career. Carty then singled and drove in what proved to be the deciding run in the eighth.

Rick Waits, who started for the Indians, was lifted in the ninth after walking Ken Singleton. Jim Bibby, in relief, passed Lee May and yielded a base-loading single by Eddie Murray. Bibby struck out Andres Mora and Doug DeCinces but Al Bumbry doubled, driving in two runs. Bearing down, Bibby fanned pinch-hitter Terry Crowley for his third strikeout of the inning to save the game. [The Sporting News]



Cleveland Indians 3, Baltimore Orioles 2
Game Played on Friday, September 23, 1977 (Night game) at Cleveland Stadium
Orioles      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   2  6  2
Indians      0  0  0    2  0  0    0  1  x  -   3  8  0


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Maddox cf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .298      Dade rf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .289
Dauer 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .237      Kuiper 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .277
Singleton rf          3   0   0   0     1   1   .331      Blanks 3b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .274
  Dimmel pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000      Thornton 1b           3   0   1   0     1   0   .274
L. May dh             3   0   1   0     1   1   .248      Carty dh              4   1   2   1     0   0   .286
  Shopay pr,dh        0   1   0   0     0   0   .188      Bochte lf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .307
Murray 1b             4   0   1   0     0   2   .275      Kendall c             3   0   0   0     0   1   .248
  Garcia pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Manning cf            1   0   0   1     1   0   .218
Mora lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .252      Griffin ss            3   0   1   1     0   0   .143
DeCinces 3b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .258      Waits p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Belanger ss           3   0   0   0     0   1   .210        Bibby p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bumbry ph           1   0   1   2     0   0   .311
Skaggs c              3   0   1   0     0   0   .288
  Harlow pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .208
  Dempsey c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .227
  Crowley ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .333
R. May p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Drago p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  T. Martinez p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   6   2     3   8             Totals               30   3   8   3     2   4

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance:  4,787
Left on Base: Orioles 7, Indians 6
DP: Orioles 1, Indians 0
Errors: Belanger, Skaggs
Doubles: Maddox (7), Bumbry (28)
Stolen Bases: Dade (16), Griffin (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Manning (4)
GIDP: Bochte (19)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. May L(17-14)         7.1   7   3   3   2   4   0  31   3.63
Drago                   0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.45
T. Martinez             0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.54
Totals                  8     8   3   3   2   4   0  33

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Waits W(9-7)            8     4   1   1   2   5   0  30   4.23
Bibby SV(2)             1     2   1   1   1   3   0   6   3.64
Totals                  9     6   2   2   3   8   0  36

Umpires: HP - Marty Springstead, 1B - Larry Barnett, 2B - Jim Evans, 3B - Vic Voltaggio


ORIOLES 1ST: Maddox doubled; Dauer grounded out (third to
first); Singleton flied out to right [Maddox to third]; L. May
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0,
Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Dade struck out; Kuiper flied out to center; Blanks
singled to right; Thornton singled to left [Blanks to second];
Carty forced Blanks (third unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Orioles 0, Indians 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: Murray grounded out (third to first); Mora grounded
out (shortstop to first); DeCinces grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Bochte flied out to left; Kendall grounded out
(third to first); Manning walked; Griffin forced Manning (second
to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: Belanger popped to second; Skaggs grounded out
(third to first); Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Dade singled to center; Dade stole second [Dade to
third (error by Belanger)]; Kuiper lined to second; Blanks
struck out; Thornton grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Dauer grounded out (second to first); Singleton
grounded out (third to first); L. May singled to center; Murray
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Carty singled; Bochte singled to right [Carty to
third]; Kendall grounded out (first unassisted) [Bochte to
second]; Manning hit a sacrifice fly to center [Carty scored];
Griffin singled to center [Bochte scored]; Griffin stole second
[Griffin to third (error by Skaggs)]; Dade was called out on
strikes; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 2.

ORIOLES 5TH: Mora grounded out (shortstop to first); DeCinces
grounded out (shortstop to first); Belanger popped to third in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 2.

INDIANS 5TH: Kuiper grounded out (pitcher to first); Blanks
popped to third; Thornton popped to first in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 2.

ORIOLES 6TH: Skaggs popped to second; Maddox flied out to
center; Dauer flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 0, Indians 2.

INDIANS 6TH: Carty grounded out (second to first); Bochte
grounded out (pitcher to first); Kendall was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 2.

ORIOLES 7TH: Singleton was called out on strikes; L. May struck
out; Murray struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0,
Indians 2.

INDIANS 7TH: Manning grounded out (first unassisted); Griffin
flied out to right; Dade flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 2.

ORIOLES 8TH: Mora grounded out (third to first); DeCinces
singled to left; Belanger struck out; Skaggs singled to left
[DeCinces to second]; HARLOW RAN FOR SKAGGS; Maddox walked
[DeCinces to third, Harlow to second]; Dauer flied out to left;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 2.

INDIANS 8TH: DEMPSEY REPLACED HARLOW (PLAYING C ); Kuiper
grounded out (shortstop to first); Blanks singled to right;
Thornton walked [Blanks to second]; DRAGO REPLACED R. MAY
(PITCHING); Carty singled to right [Blanks scored, Thornton to
second]; T. MARTINEZ REPLACED DRAGO (PITCHING); Bochte grounded
into a double play (third to second to shortstop) [Thornton out
at third]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Indians 3.

ORIOLES 9TH: Singleton walked; DIMMEL RAN FOR SINGLETON; BIBBY
REPLACED WAITS (PITCHING); L. May walked [Dimmel to second];
SHOPAY RAN FOR L. MAY; Murray singled to right [Dimmel to third,
Shopay to second]; GARCIA RAN FOR MURRAY; Mora struck out;
DeCinces struck out; BUMBRY BATTED FOR BELANGER; Bumbry doubled
to left [Dimmel scored, Shopay scored, Garcia to third]; CROWLEY
BATTED FOR DEMPSEY; Crowley struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Orioles 2, Indians 3.