Brewers 6, Orioles 3
Brewers now 31-29 (4th)
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BALTIMORE — Today’s win was a full team effort.
Bob McClure started and held the potent Orioles offense to three runs (two earned) on six hits in seven innings. Jim Slaton went the rest of the way and did what Jim Slaton does, allowing only a hit in two scoreless innings.
The Brewers got off to a good start in the first when Paul Molitor led off with a walk and Robin Yount then launched a homer to stake his roommate McClure to a 2-0 lead.
The Orioles would take the lead in the third when Dan Ford struck again with a two-run single. It was Ford who hit a grand slam yesterday to put that game out of reach.
The pitchers took over from that point until the eighth when a surprising defensive miscue gave the Brewers an opportunity. With two down, Mark Brouhard hit a routine grounder to rookie vacuum Cal Ripken, Jr.. Brouhard would reach safely when Ripken threw high to first, committing his first error in 44 games. After Molitor singled, Yount came through again with a triple off of the wall in right to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead.
The Brewers got some nice insurance runs in the eighth when Gorman Thomas led off with a booming home run to left and Marshall Edwards brought home Ben Oglivie with a sacrifice fly. But with Jim Slaton on the mound, those runs were merely recreational.
As has been the case so many times this season, Robin Yount was the star of this show. He went 2-for-5 and drove in four of the Brewers’ six runs. He is now hitting .313 with eight home runs and 36 RBI.
“If Robin Yount is not the starting All-Star shortstop,” said manager Harvey Kuenn, “then there’s something wrong with the balloting.”
Well, there’s likely something wrong with the balloting. As it currently stands, Yankees part-timer (and owner of a .153 batting average) Bucky Dent is leading all shortstops in the voting. Robin Yount sits third. Helplessly.
It’s okay. The Yankees can play in the meaningless All-Star Game. The Brewers will just keep winning the games that count.
Game Notes: The Brewers are considering calling up reliever Pete Ladd or starter Frank DiPino from Vancouver. Ladd is 9-1 and has allowed 32 hits in 40 2/3 innings. DiPino is 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA … Ted Simmons is second among catchers in the All-Star voting behind Chicago’s Carlton Fisk. Cecil Cooper is fifth among first basemen behind California’s Rod Carew. Molitor is seventh among third basemen behind Kansas City’s George Brett. Ben Oglivie is sixteenth among outfielders … Reliever Rollie Fingers (back spasms) may be available for tomorrow’s game … Cecil Cooper, who had been out of the lineup for five games with a hamstring injury, returned and couldn’t get the ball out of the infield in four at bats.
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