Marking Earl Weaver's 1,000th victory as manager, the Orioles opened their season by defeating the White Sox, 5-3, behind the three-hit pitching of Jim Palmer. The White Sox nicked Palmer for two runs in the second inning, but the Orioles came back to take command with three in their half.

Rich Dauer batted in the tying pair with a bases-loaded single and, after Rick Dempsey singled Dauer to third, Mark Belanger hit a sacrifice fly to put the Orioles ahead. Doug DeCinces, who batted in at least one run in each of the last 10 games of the 1978 season, made it 11 in a row with an infield out that produced what proved to be the Orioles' deciding tally in the fifth. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 5, Chicago White Sox 3
Game Played on Friday, April     6, 1979 (Day game) at Memorial Stadium
White Sox    0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   3  3  3
Orioles      0  3  0    0  1  0    1  0  x  -   5  7  0


White Sox            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Chappas ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Bumbry cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Washington rf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Belanger ss           2   1   0   1     1   0   .000
Lemon cf              3   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Singleton rf          3   1   1   0     1   1   .333
Orta dh               3   2   1   0     1   0   .333        Harlow pr,rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Johnson 1b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Murray 1b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .500
  Squires pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      DeCinces 3b           4   1   1   1     0   1   .250
Bannister 2b          1   1   0   1     2   0   .000      May dh                3   1   0   0     1   1   .000
Garr lf               3   0   0   1     0   0   .000      Roenicke lf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Soderholm 3b          3   0   1   1     0   0   .333      Dauer 2b              4   1   1   2     0   0   .250
Foley c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Dempsey c             4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
Kravec p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Palmer p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Robinson p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   3   3   3     4   4             Totals               31   5   7   5     4   4

Time of Game: 2:25   Attendance: 39,648
Left on Base: White Sox 4, Orioles 7
DP: White Sox 1, Orioles 0
Errors: Johnson, Bannister, Garr
Doubles: Singleton (1)
Stolen Bases: Orta (1), Bannister (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Garr (1), Bannister (1), Belanger (1)
GIDP: Bumbry (1)


White Sox              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kravec L(0-1)           6.1   7   5   3   4   2   0  31   4.26
Robinson                1.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   5   0.00
Totals                  8     7   5   3   4   4   0  36

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Palmer W(1-0)           9     3   3   3   4   4   0  34   3.00
Totals                  9     3   3   3   4   4   0  34

Passed Balls: Dempsey (1)

Umpires: HP - Dallas Parks, 1B - Bob Roesner, 2B - Jim O'Connor, 3B - Jerry Phipps


WHITE SOX 1ST: Debut for umpire Dallas Parks; Chappas was
called out on strikes; Washington lined to second; Lemon
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White
Sox 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry reached on an error by Bannister; Belanger
grounded out (second to first) [Bumbry to second]; Singleton
grounded out (third to first); Murray grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0, Orioles 0.

WHITE SOX 2ND: Orta singled to center; Johnson was called out on
strikes; Orta stole second; Dempsey allowed a passed ball [Orta
to third]; Bannister walked; Garr hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Orta scored]; Bannister stole second; Soderholm singled to left
[Bannister scored]; Foley struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
White Sox 2, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: DeCinces reached on an error by Johnson (assist by
Soderholm); May walked [DeCinces to second]; Roenicke walked
[DeCinces to third, May to second]; Dauer singled to center
[DeCinces scored (unearned), May scored, Roenicke to second];
Dempsey singled to right [Roenicke to third, Dauer to second];
Bumbry forced Roenicke (catcher unassisted) [Dauer to third,
Dempsey to second]; Belanger hit a sacrifice fly to right [Dauer
scored (unearned)]; Singleton struck out; 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 3.

WHITE SOX 3RD: Chappas grounded out (second to first);
Washington grounded out (second to first); Lemon grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 3RD: Murray grounded out (pitcher to first); On a bunt
DeCinces singled; May grounded out (pitcher to first) [DeCinces
to second]; Roenicke lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
White Sox 2, Orioles 3.

WHITE SOX 4TH: Orta popped to third in foul territory; Johnson
popped to first in foul territory; Bannister walked; Garr
grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White
Sox 2, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 4TH: Dauer flied out to center; Dempsey singled to left;
Bumbry grounded into a double play (second to first) [Dempsey
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 3.

WHITE SOX 5TH: Soderholm grounded out (second to first); Foley
grounded out (first to pitcher); Chappas flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 5TH: Belanger flied out to left; Singleton doubled to
left; On a bunt Murray singled to second [Singleton to
third]; Alan Bannister lost the ball in the wind;
DeCinces forced Murray (pitcher to second) [Singleton scored];
May flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 2,
Orioles 4.

WHITE SOX 6TH: Washington grounded out (catcher to first); Lemon
struck out; Orta walked; Johnson forced Orta (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 4.

ORIOLES 6TH: Roenicke struck out; Dauer grounded out (third to
first); Dempsey popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White
Sox 2, Orioles 4.

WHITE SOX 7TH: Bannister flied out to center; Garr grounded out
(shortstop to first); Soderholm popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 4.

ORIOLES 7TH: Bumbry grounded out (shortstop to first); Belanger
walked; Singleton walked [Belanger to second]; HARLOW RAN FOR
SINGLETON; Murray singled to left [Belanger scored, Harlow to
second]; ROBINSON REPLACED KRAVEC (PITCHING); DeCinces struck
out; Debut game for Dewey Robinson; May struck out; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 5.

WHITE SOX 8TH: HARLOW STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Foley popped
to shortstop; Chappas grounded out (first unassisted);
Washington grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles 5.

ORIOLES 8TH: Roenicke flied out to left; Dauer reached on an
error by Garr [Dauer out at second (left to second)]; Dempsey
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 2, Orioles
5.

WHITE SOX 9TH: Lemon walked; Orta forced Lemon (second to
shortstop); Johnson singled to right [Orta to third]; SQUIRES
RAN FOR JOHNSON; Bannister hit a sacrifice fly to right [Orta
scored]; Garr grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  White Sox 3, Orioles 5.