A triple by Mark Belanger proved the key blow that enabled the Orioles to outlast the Rangers, 8-7. The Orioles erupted for six runs in the seventh inning, two scoring on a single by Ken Singleton, to take a 6-3 lead.

Belanger batted in another run with his triple in the eighth and then, trying for an inside-the-park homer, scored what proved to be the deciding run when catcher Jim Sundberg dropped the throw to the plate. The Rangers came back with four runs in the ninth before their rally fell short. [The Sporting News]



Baltimore Orioles 8, Texas Rangers 7
Game Played on Friday, July      18, 1980 (Night game) at Memorial Stadium
Rangers      0  0  0    0  2  1    0  0  4  -   7 10  1
Orioles      0  0  0    0  0  0    6  2  x  -   8 14  1


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             5   2   3   0     0   0   .307      Bumbry cf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .317
Wills 2b              4   1   1   2     0   0   .251        Roenicke ph,cf      1   1   0   0     1   0   .255
Oliver lf             5   0   1   3     0   1   .302      Dauer 3b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .264
Bell 3b               4   0   0   1     1   0   .341        Kelly ph,lf         1   1   1   1     1   0   .261
Zisk rf               4   0   0   0     1   2   .285      Lowenstein lf         2   0   1   0     1   0   .283
Ellis dh              3   0   0   0     1   0   .257        Ayala ph            1   0   0   1     0   0   .313
Staub 1b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .324        Graham 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .227
Sundberg c            3   2   1   1     1   0   .244      Singleton rf          3   0   2   2     1   0   .294
Roberts ss            3   1   2   0     0   0   .280      Crowley dh            4   1   2   0     0   0   .327
  Grubb ph            1   1   1   0     0   0   .301      May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   0   .230
Medich p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Dempsey c             4   1   2   0     0   0   .248
  Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Garcia ss,2b          4   2   2   1     0   0   .237
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Sakata 2b             2   0   0   0     0   1   .179
  Darwin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Murray ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .287
  Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Belanger pr,ss      1   2   1   1     0   0   .184
                                                          Flanagan p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stoddard p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            T. Martinez p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   7  10   7     4   3             Totals               35   8  14   7     4   2

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance: 22,659
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Orioles 7
DP: Rangers 2, Orioles 1
Errors: Sundberg, Sakata
Doubles: Wills (18)
Triples: Belanger (2)
Home Runs: Sundberg (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Wills (11)
GIDP: Sundberg (10), Lowenstein (2), Crowley (6)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich                  6     7   2   2   2   2   0  24   3.65
Kern L(2-11)            0.1   2   2   2   0   0   0   3   5.75
Johnson                 0     0   1   1   1   0   0   1   1.17
Darwin                  0     0   1   1   1   0   0   1   1.98
Lyle                    1.2   5   2   1   0   0   0  10   4.37
Totals                  8    14   8   7   4   2   0  39

Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Flanagan W(9-8)         8     7   3   3   3   2   1  34   3.99
Stoddard                0     2   3   3   1   0   0   3   2.62
T. Martinez SV(6)       1     1   1   1   0   1   0   4   3.49
Totals                  9    10   7   7   4   3   1  41

Umpires: HP - Terry Cooney, 1B - Bill Kunkel, 2B - Ted Hendry, 3B - John Shulock


RANGERS 1ST: Rivers singled to right; On a bunt Wills made an
out to catcher [Rivers stayed at first]; Bump Wills called
for interference for running into his own batted ball;
Oliver flied out to center; Bell walked [Rivers to second]; Zisk
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 1ST: Bumbry grounded out (shortstop to first); Dauer
singled to right; Lowenstein grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Dauer out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Ellis lined to third; Staub reached on an error by
Sakata; Sundberg grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Staub out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
 Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: Singleton walked; Crowley grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Singleton out at second];
May flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 0,
Orioles 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Roberts singled to left; Rivers flied out to left;
Wills popped to first; Oliver grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 3RD: Dempsey grounded out (pitcher to first); Garcia
grounded out (third to first); Sakata struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Bell grounded out (shortstop to first); Zisk
walked; Ellis popped to shortstop; Staub singled to right [Zisk
to second]; Sundberg forced Staub (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 4TH: Bumbry struck out; Dauer grounded out (second to
first); Lowenstein singled to right; Singleton singled to right
[Lowenstein out at third (center to second to third)]; John
Lowenstein rounded bag too far; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Rangers 0, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Roberts singled to left; On a bunt Rivers singled
[Roberts to second]; Wills out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [Roberts to third, Rivers to second]; Oliver singled to
right [Roberts scored, Rivers scored]; Bell grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Oliver to second]; Zisk grounded out
(third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 5TH: Crowley grounded out (first unassisted); May
grounded out (third to first); Dempsey singled to center; Garcia
singled to center [Dempsey to second]; Sakata popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Ellis popped to second; Staub flied out to center;
Sundberg homered; Roberts flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Rangers 3, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 6TH: Bumbry grounded out (shortstop to first); Dauer
grounded out (third to first); Lowenstein walked; Singleton
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers
3, Orioles 0.

RANGERS 7TH: Rivers flied out to left; Wills flied out to right;
Oliver struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 3, Orioles 0.

ORIOLES 7TH: Crowley singled to right; May singled to center
[Crowley to second]; KERN REPLACED MEDICH (PITCHING); Dempsey
forced May (shortstop to second) [Crowley to third]; Garcia
singled to right [Crowley scored, Dempsey to second]; MURRAY
BATTED FOR SAKATA; Murray singled [Dempsey scored, Garcia to
third, Murray to second (on throw)]; JOHNSON REPLACED KERN
(PITCHING); ROENICKE BATTED FOR BUMBRY; BELANGER RAN FOR MURRAY;
Roenicke was walked intentionally; DARWIN REPLACED JOHNSON
(PITCHING); KELLY BATTED FOR DAUER; Kelly walked [Garcia scored,
Belanger to third, Roenicke to second]; LYLE REPLACED DARWIN
(PITCHING); AYALA BATTED FOR LOWENSTEIN; Ayala grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Belanger scored, Roenicke to third, Kelly
to second]; Singleton singled to left [Roenicke scored, Kelly
scored]; Crowley singled to center [Singleton to second]; May
popped to first; 6 R, 6 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 3, Orioles 6.

RANGERS 8TH: ROENICKE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); KELLY STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); GRAHAM REPLACED AYALA (PLAYING 3B); GARCIA
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); BELANGER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
SS); Bell popped to second; Zisk flied out to center; Ellis
walked; Staub grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Rangers 3, Orioles 6.

ORIOLES 8TH: Dempsey singled to left; Garcia forced Dempsey
(third to shortstop); Belanger tripled to right [Garcia scored,
Belanger scored (error by Sundberg; assists by Zisk and Wills)
(unearned) (no RBI)]; Roenicke grounded out (second to first);
Kelly singled to left; Graham flied out to center; 2 R (1 ER), 3
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 3, Orioles 8.

RANGERS 9TH: STODDARD REPLACED FLANAGAN (PITCHING); Sundberg
walked; GRUBB BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Grubb singled to right
[Sundberg to second]; Rivers singled [Sundberg to third, Grubb
to second]; T. MARTINEZ REPLACED STODDARD (PITCHING); Wills
doubled [Sundberg scored, Grubb scored, Rivers to third]; Oliver
grounded out (second to first) [Rivers scored, Wills to third];
Bell grounded out (shortstop to first) [Wills scored]; Zisk
struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 7, Orioles 8.