Orioles Equal Spring Training Win Total On Opening Day

Baltimore, MD - The Orioles were by far the worst performing team in spring training, often being blown out on route to an 1-11 record. Well their star performers Jim Palmer and Ken Singleton ensured it didn't take them long to match that total in the regular season.

Baltimore is coming off a a disappointing 5th place finish in the AL East while their opponent Cleveland was a surprise challenger to the Red Sox and Yankees a season ago. Free Agent signing Nelson Briles, formerly of the Royals, earned the save for the Orioles in the game.





Baltimore 4, Cleveland 3

4/5/1976, CLE76-BAL76, Memorial Stadium
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
1976 Cleveland         0  0  0  0  0  0  2  1  0     3  7  1     9  0
1976 Baltimore         3  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  x     4  7  3     5  0
 
Cleveland            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Baltimore            AB  R  H BI   AVG
Harrah            3b  4  0  0  0  .000    Blair             cf  4  0  0  0  .000
Kuiper            2b  5  0  1  0  .200    Beniquez          lf  4  0  1  0  .250
Hendrick          rf  5  0  0  0  .000    Singleton         rf  4  2  2  1  .500
Gamble            lf  3  0  1  0  .333    DeCinces          3b  4  1  1  0  .250
 Bannister        pr  0  1  0  0  .000    Grich             2b  3  1  1  0  .333
Thomas.G          cf  4  0  2  0  .500    Hendricks         c   4  0  1  2  .250
Bochte            1b  3  1  1  0  .333    May               1b  2  0  1  1  .500
Fosse             c   4  1  2  1  .500    Belanger          ss  3  0  0  0  .000
Crosby            ss  3  0  0  1  .000    Palmer            p   2  0  0  0  .000
Niekro            p   2  0  0  0  .000     Smith            ph  1  0  0  0  .000
 Kelly            ph  1  0  0  0  .000     Jackson          p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Parker           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Briles           p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Lowenstein       ph  1  0  0  0  .000                         31  4  7  4
                     35  3  7  2
 
Cleveland                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Niekro           L 0-1           6.0  5  4  1  2  5  87  53  1.50
Parker                           2.0  2  0  0  0  1  22  15  0.00
                                 8.0  7  4  1  2  6 109  68 
 
Baltimore                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Palmer           W 1-0           7.0  4  2  0  2  3 120  73  0.00
Jackson          H 1             0.1  2  1  1  1  0  14   9 27.00
Briles           S 1             1.2  1  0  0  0  0  21  13  0.00
                                 9.0  7  3  1  3  3 155  95 
 
CLE: Kelly batted for Niekro in the 7th
     Bannister ran for Gamble in the 8th
     Bannister moved to lf in the 8th
     Lowenstein batted for Parker in the 9th
BAL: Smith batted for Palmer in the 7th
 
E-Gamble, Singleton, Grich, May. 2B-Thomas.G, Fosse. HR-Singleton(1). 
CS-Beniquez. K-Harrah, Gamble, Thomas.G, Blair 2, DeCinces, Grich, Hendricks, 
Palmer. BB-Harrah, Gamble, Bochte, Grich, May. SF-Crosby. WP-Niekro. 
GWRBI: Hendricks