Bronx Bombers take 3 of 4 from O's

Game 1: Cuellar vs Guidry

The season opened in Yankee Stadium in inauspicious fashion for the home team. Ron Guidry, the presumptive ace of the strong Yankee rotation, was chased in the second inning and ended up giving up six runs and left with an ERA of 27.00 – despite giving up only two hits. The Yankees tried to come back with a run in the fourth and three in the fifth, but two Oriole runs in the seventh put the game effectively out of reach. Ken Singleton had a monster game going 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Baltimore spoiled the opener for the home fans, dominantly winning by a final score of 10-4. Reggie Jackson’s first home run, a solo shot in the fourth, was one of the few Yankee highlights.

Game 2: Palmer vs Stottlemyre

The second game in New York was a different story. A fire had been lit under the Yankees, and they opened with an inspired rally. They scored three runs in the first three innings off Jim Palmer. The O’s got a run back in the fourth but the Yanks answered, scoring three runs off three hits. It would have been a  bigger inning, but Reggie Jackson was thrown out trying to stretch a single to end the innings. Mel Stottlemyre did the rest, completing the game with only one run given up on four hits, and the Yanks pulled it out 7-1.

Game 3:  Peterson vs Flanagan

The series moved to Baltimore for the third game. The O’s stormed ahead on a three-run third, but the Yankees had something left. Charles Johnson and Bucky Dent each had RBI singles in the fifth and Craig Nettles gave the Yanks the lead in the sixth with a two-run double. Peterson held on and gave up no more runs in a complete game. Back-to-back home runs by Nettles and Reggie Jackson in the eighth sealed the win and New Your spoiled it for Baltimore 7-3.

Game 4: Medich vs McAnally

Eddie Murray his an RBI double in the third, scoring Singleton, to open the account for the home team. The game went back and forth for a while: the Yankees collected five hits in the fourth and scored three runs, while the O’s got three hits in the sixth to tie the game. But the wheels came off Oriole pitching in the ninth, with the Yanks managing four runs to blow it open. Sparky Lyle, in his first appearance in a non-save situation, gave up a run but recovered and the Yankees won the game and the series by a final score of 7-4. The Red Sox are next for the Yankees while Milwaukee awaits the Orioles.

--submitted by Michael Hopcroft--