The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • 27

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1991 THE SUN SPORTS SC BASEBALL Rangers for 5th straight Chito Martinez proves doubters wrong Orioles in 1990 JOHN EISEHBERG i f. i EISENBERG, from 1C he'd hit 20 homers in Rochester, he became the first player born in Belize to make the majors. But he has lived In the United States since he was 2, in New Orleans, where his father runs a company that sells and services air conditioners. "My parents came here because there was more Martinez said. "It was a better place to raise a family." He was a baseball king as a high schooler, but got stuck in Double-A after turning pro.

Hitting .215 In July of his third season in Memphis, he almost quit. "I was tired of the failure," he said. "The game wasn't any fun at all. My attitude was bad. I was very close to saying, 'OK, time to get on with your He was going to go to trade school and Join his father's business, but suddenly began to hit.

Having shortened his stroke on the advice of his hitting coach, he hit .340 with 13 homers in a month, and the game was fun again. Now it's really fun. He hit another homer last night, his third in two nights, and drove in four 1 singled to left, Gomez scored. Anderson rounded out to shortstop Hernandez. 3 runs, hits, 0 errors, 1 left on.

Orioles 3, Rangers 1. Orioles third: C.Ripken singled to right center. Orsulak singled to right, C.Ripken to second. Milligan walked, C.Ripken to third, Orsulak to second. Martinez grounded Into fielder's choice, second baseman Buechele to shortstop Hernandez, C.Ripken scored, Orsulak to third, Milligan forced at second.

Gomez homered to left on 1-1 count, Orsulak, Martinez and Gomez scored. Holies grounded out to third baseman Palmer. Bell struck out. 4 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Orioles 7, Rangers 1.

Orioles fourth: Devereaux doubled to left. Anderson popped out to catcher Rodriguez. C.Ripken singled to center, Devereaux scored. Orsulak singled to right, C.Ripken to third. Milligan struck out.

Martinez singled to second, C.Ripken scored, Orsulak to second, Orsulak out advancing, catcher Rodriguez to third baseman Palmer. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Orioles 9, Rangers 1. Rangers eighth: Hulett to second base, batting 3rd. Segui to first base.

Bell to shortstop, batting 9th. Palmer singled to left center. Petralli, pinch hitting for Rodriguez, grounded out to first baseman Segui, pitcher Mesa covering, Palmer to second. Hernandez singled to center, Palmer scored, Hernandez to second on throw home. Downing popped out to right fielder Orsulak.

Stanley flied out to right fielder Orsulak. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Orioles 9, Rangers 2. runs. He gave a half-dozen one-on-one Interviews before the game, and another batch afterward.

"There's no way I could have envisioned this much happening," he said. "It's great, but it's important for me to try to keep doing the same things. My approach from the beginning was this was a chance to show I could hit major-league pitching. If things don't work out, I can say I got my shot." He did, and, as Melvin said. "He's making the most of it." Will things THE SUN CHITO MARTINEZ Defies the scouting reports work out? Who knows? The Orioles might have uncovered at least a platoon player, but Martinez himself is living, breathing, home run-hitting proof that, other than Cal Ripken at shortstop and the Indians in dead last, baseball is about as predictable as a knuckle ball in the wind.

You Just ride the wave, the man said, and see where It goes. ORIOLES, from 1C 'not going to get them out" After the home run, Mesa retired In a row before walking Rafael Palmeiro with two out in the sixth Inning. He went on to the team's first complete-game win since Ben McDonald stopped the California Angels on May 17. The Orioles offense chipped In with 14 hits off Oil Can Boyd, the ever surrendered by a Rangers -pitcher In a game. Boyd was In an untenable situation with Texas In the midst of two doubleheaders in four days.

He had to stay In the game to save the bullpen for a doubleheader tonight In Cleveland. "They hit him up for two big Innings and he couldn't regroup," said Texas manager Bobby Valentine. "I thought I had him settled down, but I think he shook off some pitch selections that he Is regretting." The Orioles raked Boyd for all nine of their runs, and rookies Leo Gomez and Chlto Martinez led the Jyay. They both homered and combined for seven RBI. "Martinez now tops major-league rookies with a .333 batting average and Gomez has the American League rookie home-run lead with nine.

"I'm Just going up there trying to hit the ball hard." said Martinez. "I guess I'm In a good groove. I don't know what else to say." A two-run shot by Martinez in the second Inning started the surge and Gomez, who had tripled, later scored on Mike Devereaux's single for a 3-1 Orioles lead. Then after a run scored on Martl-rnez' fielder's-choice grounder In the third, Gomez socked a three-run homer for a 7-1 cushion for Mesa, who kept making smart pitches. "I know of three or four situations where he struck out guys with 3-2 breaking balls," said Oates.

"Earlier in the year, he would miss with those pitches. And he only walked two guys." In his only previous appearance against Texas, Mesa iost, 1-0, in to Nolan Ryan on Palmeiro's sacrifice fly. Mesa said he "got my head straightened out" In the minors "by ('working hard to come back here. My Jpltches are working pretty good right jnow." He wants to keep his temporary I locker for the moment because "it's I pretty good" and credited a new hair-jcut close shaven around the tem- pies for his recent success. I -s Tm going to keep that up, too," he said.

I The four-game sweep was the first by the Orioles since July 22 of last year against the Chicago White I Sox, and it salvaged a 6-6 record on homestand. They are batting j.292 during the streak and have a 3.06 ERA. They are 42-14 at home against Texas since August 1982. The Rangers, who led the AL In the Orioles' 115th game last season, they lost to the Mariners, 7-1. Here's where the Orioles stood: Record Position GB 56-59 West at the All-Star break, are in sixth place and have lost seven of their past eight Boyd hasn't helped.

He is 0-4 in five starts since being acquired In a trade with the Montreal Expos. Whether the Orioles can continue to surge is uncertain. But they have a start "You start on the ground floor and try to build momentum," said Oates. "We can't really get too excited because there are more important games ahead of us." TEXAS AB Bl BB SO Avfl. Downing dh .4 0 0 0 0 1 .268 Palmeiro 1b 1 0 0 0 2 0 .343 Stanley lb 1 0 0 0 0 0 .227 Sierra rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .306 Gonzalez cl 4 0 0 0 0 3 .295 Relmerlf 4 1 1 1 0 2 .273 Buechele2b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .262 MDiaz2b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .252 Palrlr3b .3 1 1 0 0 0 .211 IRodriguezc .2 0 0 0 0 1 .289 a-Petralli ph-c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .239 Hernandez 88 3 0 1 1 0 1 .286 Totals 3Q 2 3 2 2 BALTIMORE AB Bl BB SO Avfl.

Devereauxcf 5 1 3 1 0 0 .261 BAndersonlf .4 0 0 0 0 0 .196 CRIpken ss .4 2 3 1 0 0 .325 Hulett2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Orsulak rf 4 1 3 0 0 0 .270 Milligan 1b 2 1 0 0 2 1 .269 SeguMb 0 0 0 0 0 0 .268 ChMartinezdh .4 2 2 4 0 0 .333 Gomez 3b .3 2 2 3 1 0 .220 Hoilesc .4 0 0 0 0 1 .254 JBell2b-8S .4 0 1 0 0 1 .182 Totala 34 9 14 0 3 3 Texaa 010 000 010 2 3 0 Baltimore 034 200 OOx 9 14 0 a-grounded out for Rodriguez In the 8th. LOB Texaa 3, Baltimore 5. 2B Devereaux (21). 3B Gomez (2). HR ChMartlnez (8) off Boyd, Gomez (9) off Boyd, Reimer (10) off Mesa.

RBI Reimer (V6), Hernandez (2), Devereaux (40), CRip-ken (81), ChMartlnez 4 (17), Gomez 3 (28). BAn-derson. GIDP Oraulak, Holies. Runnera left In (coring position Texas 1 (Stanley); Baltimore 1 (Orsulak). Runners moved up Petralll, ChMartinez.

DP Texas 2 (Boyd, Hernandez and Palmeiro), (Palmer, MDiaz and Stanley). Texas IP ER BB SO NP ERA Boyd 0-4 7 14 9 9 3 3 100 8.10 JeRusseB 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 3.21 Baltimore IP ER BB SO NP ERA Mesa 5-8 9 3 2 2 2 9 124 5.40 Umpires Home, Voltaggio; First, Kaiser; Second, Joyce; Third, McKean. 2:27. A 32,557. Rangers -Orioles scoring Rangers second: Reimer homered to right on 0-0 count.

Buechele popped out to shortstop C.Ripken. Palmer popped out to second baseman Bell. Rodriguez grounded out to shortstop C.Ripken. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Rangers 1, Orioles 0.

Orioles second: Milligan walked. Martinez homered to right center on 0-0 count, Milligan and Martinez scored. Gomez tripled down the left field line. Holies struck out. Bell grounded out to second baseman Buechele.

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