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GAME LOG
NEW YORK -- Baltimore is expected to blow save chances. Mariano Rivera isn't.
That's why it was so shocking to see the Orioles overcame
Scott Brosius' eighth-inning grand slam and beat the
New York Yankees 7-6 Sunday with a three-run
ninth capped by Albert Belle's two-out, two-run
single.
|  | | Albert Belle is congratulated by Orioles manager Mike Hargrove after his two-run single finished the Yanks. |
"That was fairly improbable," Orioles manager Mike
Hargrove said. "I don't know if he's lost a game since
the '97 playoffs."
Not quite, Mike.
Rivera (2-1), who blew a Game 4 save against
Hargrove's Indians in that postseason's division
series, did lose three times last year -- to the Orioles
on April 15 and to the Mets and Braves during a
one-week span in mid-July.
This was just his second blown save in 35 chances
since his previous loss, to Atlanta last July 16.
"To blow a game like that, it's terrible," Rivera said. "I
feel bad. We should have won the game."
Baltimore, which stopped a four-game losing streak,
took a 4-2 lead in the eighth on Harold Baines' RBI
double off Jeff Nelson.
But Brosius connected off Mike Trombley in the
bottom half for his second career slam, his first
since 1994, and the Yankees, with Rivera coming in,
appeared set to extend their winning streak to seven.
"He's so good at what he does, you almost take it
for granted," Brosius said. "You forget how hard it
is."
Baltimore, which had blown five of nine save chances
coming in, then let New York put runners on second
and third with one out. Buddy Groom (2-1) escaped
more damage when Paul O'Neill grounded out and, after an intentional walk to
Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez struck out.
"Once our bullpen gets on the ground and starts throwing the way it can, we'll
be a good ballclub," Hargrove said.
Charles Johnson singled leading off the ninth and Brady Anderson hit another
single with one out.
Delino DeShields' hit, the inning's third soft single, pulled the Orioles to 6-5,
and B.J. Surhoff grounded to second baseman Wilson Delgado, who opted to
go for an easy out at first rather than try for a tough play at second.
Belle followed with a hard shot to center. He didn't want to talk about his hit.
When a reporter walked up to him in the Orioles clubhouse and said, "Albert,"
Belle responded with an obscene gesture.
The drama continued in the bottom of the ninth.
Jorge Posada singled off Mike Timlin leading off, Shane Spencer and Brosius
struck out, with Johnson throwing out Posada at second for a game-ending
double play. Timlin, who allowed O'Neill's homer Friday night, got his second
save.
"I finally found a little groove," said Timlin, who was on the disabled list from
April 2-17. "I got a little outside the game when I was on the DL. It may have
taken me a little bit to get my routine correct."
The Yankees, who left the bases loaded three times and stranded 11, were
just 1-for-5 with runners on third and fewer than two outs: Ricky Ledee popped
out in the fifth, Derek Jeter and O'Neill grounded out in the seventh, and
O'Neill grounded out in the eighth.
Yankees manager Joe Torre wasn't disappointed with Rivera.
"You can't do it all the time," he said.
Before a crowd of 52,559 on Bob Sheppard Day, Cal
Ripken Jr. and DeShields homered for the Orioles off
Ramiro Mendoza following pregame ceremonies that
honored the Yankees' public address announcer, who
is in his 50th season. Ripken's second-inning homer
was his sixth of the season and 408th in his career.
Martinez's RBI single tied it in the fourth, but DeShields
hit a leadoff homer in the sixth and Baines' sacrifice fly
later in the inning made it 3-1. Orioles starter Sid
Ponson walked three straight batters in the bottom half,
forcing in a run with a walk to Brosius.
In the Yankees clubhouse afterward, Rivera didn't want anyone to blame the
loss on missed chances.
"I blew the game," he said. "Nobody else."
Game notes
Brosius' other slam was for Oakland against Boston's Aaron
Sele on July 16, 1994. ... Ripken moved past Duke Snider and is
29th on the career list, one ahead of Ken Griffey Jr., who also
homered Sunday. ... Johnson, in a 7-for-42 skid, went 3-for-4 a day
after being rested. ... With runners on third and fewer than two
outs. Ricky Ledee popped out in the fifth, Derek Jeter and O'Neill
grounded out in the seventh, and O'Neill grounded out in the
eighth.
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