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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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| Hentgen |
DETROIT (AP) – When Pat Hentgen was a free agent for the first
time in his career last summer, the Detroit Tigers were one of the
teams on his list.
However, negotiations never got started between the former
Michigan high school star and the Tigers, in part because they
decided to cut payroll.
The Baltimore Orioles are glad Detroit couldn't afford to bring
the 1996 AL Cy Young Award winner home.
Hentgen pitched seven solid innings as Baltimore beat the Tigers
8-3 Tuesday night and won consecutive games for the first time this
season. Detroit has lost 11 of 13.
Several members of Hentgen's family were waiting for him after
the game, including his father, Pat, who said it was
unfortunate the Tigers couldn't sign his son.
"They didn't want to make any moves," his father said. "Wrong
place, wrong time and it's too bad. Of course we would've loved to
have him back here with his wife and three little kids."
Hentgen (1-2) continued to be solid on the mound while his
teammates gave him support for a change. He gave up three runs and
seven hits.
The Orioles scored eight runs during his first four starts while
he gave up just nine runs in 31 1/3 innings.
Hentgen could've been eating up innings and keeping the Tigers
in games, if they chose to offer him a contract last summer.
When Hentgen was asked if all things were equal, would Detroit
have won the tie between it and any other team, he paused for
several seconds before answering.
"I love being an Oriole," he said as he looked at carpet.
Manager Mike Hargrove loves that Hentgen is on his staff and in
his clubhouse.
"I've been around a lot of good people in this game," Hargrove
said. "And I don't think I've ever been around anybody that has as
much character, desire and competitiveness as Pat Hentgen."
Four Orioles had multihit games, led by rookie Jay Gibbons, who
hit two doubles and two singles.
The Orioles, who scored 21 runs while taking two of three
against Tampa Bay over the weekend, got four runs in the fourth and
three more in the seventh.
Jeff Weaver (1-4) has given up at least 10 hits and lost in
three straight games. He allowed six runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3
innings.
Weaver was angry that the Tigers' losing streak reached six
games against Baltimore.
"It's really ridiculous," he said.
Brady Anderson led off the game with a double and scored on
Gibbons' infield single with two outs.
Detroit tied it in the second when Tony Clark drew a leadoff
walk and scored on Juan Encarnacion's single.
The Orioles took command with their four-run fourth, which began
when Mike Kinkade reached on an infield single and Gibbons hit a
390-foot, RBI double to left-center field.
Gibbons scored the third run when catcher Brandon Inge was
charged with an error after Weaver caught Brook Fordyce's chopper
and threw home. Anderson's RBI single and Mike Bordick's RBI
grounder capped the burst.
Robert Fick hit a two-out homer in the sixth, cutting Detroit's
deficit to 5-2.
Chris Richard's sacrifice fly scored Delino DeShields, who began
the seventh with a standup triple. Melvin Mora hit an RBI double
and Jerry Hairston had a sacrifice fly to pad Baltimore's lead to
8-2.
Detroit's Damion Easley hit an RBI triple in the seventh.
"Things just didn't fall our way tonight," Detroit manager
Phil Garner said. "Sometimes, you need a little love."
Game notes
Gibbons extended his hitting streak to six and Mike
Kinkade, who was 3-for-4, has hit safely in seven of nine games.
... Seven of Fick's 15 hits this season have been for extra bases.
... Hentgen has won 63 percent of games on the road, which ranks
seventh all-time among pitchers with at least 100 decisions on the
road after 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... The
Tigers will celebrate their 100th anniversary in the AL Wednesday
with an automobile parade in Comerica Park before the game with
former players such as Al Kaline, George Kell, Mickey Lolich and
Cindy McGowin, the granddaughter of Ty Cobb, expected to
participate. Detroit's AL opener on April 24, 1901, against
Milwaukee was rained out.
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RECAPS
Boston 9
Minnesota 4
Anaheim 7
Cleveland 2
Baltimore 8
Detroit 3
Seattle 7
NY Yankees 5
Toronto 7
Texas 5
Tampa Bay 4
Kansas City 2
Oakland 6
Chi. White Sox 4
Houston 11
Atlanta 6
Milwaukee 6
NY Mets 4
St. Louis 7
Montreal 2
Colorado 14
Chicago Cubs 1
Arizona 9
Florida 8
Philadelphia 12
San Diego 7
Pittsburgh 5
Los Angeles 1
Cincinnati 9
San Francisco 5
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