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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) – Jeff Conine stepped to the plate with the
chance for the cycle, looking to go deep with a pitch from Tim
Crabtree.
|  | | Look out AL East, Melvin Mora and the Orioles are close to running themselves into the race. |
He dutifully took four straight balls and took a walk,
disappointed but content to get on base in a close game.
Conine went 3-for-3 and scored three runs as the Baltimore
Orioles won their season-high fourth straight, beating the Texas
Rangers 7-6 Friday night.
Conine doubled in the second inning, hit an RBI single in the
third and tripled in the fifth. Batting in the seventh with the
opportunity to become the first Oriole to hit for the cycle since
Cal Ripken in 1984, Conine was thinking about one thing.
"You've got a chance to do something that hasn't happened often
in baseball," he said. "The last pitch was close, but I didn't
want to make a stupid out."
With the count 3-0, manager Mike Hargrove gave Conine the
hit-away sign. But Conine didn't swing, because by that time the
Orioles had let a 6-0 lead shrink to 7-5.
"I didn't want to be the dirty dog to deny him the chance to
get it, but to his credit, it was out of the strike zone and he
didn't go after it and try to force something to happen," Hargrove
said. "He put the team's good over his own. That's what makes Jeff
Conine who he is."
Conine is one of the hottest hitters in the game. He's hit in 10
straight games, going 19-for-40 (.475).
"My mechanics are real sound. I'm seeing the ball all the way
to the bat," he said.
Jose Mercedes finally won his first game, allowing four runs –
three earned – and eight hits in six innings. Mercedes (1-6) had a
team-high 14 wins last year but was winless in nine starts this
season.
Mike Trombley got four outs for his third save.
Brady Anderson homered for the Orioles, who have won eight of 10
to move within a game of .500 (23-24) for the first time since May
1.
Ken Caminiti and Gabe Kapler homered for the Rangers, extending
Texas' club-record streak of games with at least one homer to 18,
seven games short of the big league mark. The Rangers lead the
majors with 76 home runs.
Rangers manager Jerry Narron missed the game to attend his
daughter's high school graduation. He was replaced by bench coach
Bucky Dent.
"Conine, he's hurt us in the past and he did it again
tonight," Dent said. "But we battled back real good."
Texas trailed 7-2 before Kapler led off the sixth with his
seventh homer, and another run scored on a throwing error by
shortstop Mike Bordick.
A throwing error by Orioles catcher Brook Fordyce enabled Texas
to close to 7-5 in the seventh.
In the Texas eighth, Ruben Mateo hit a two-out triple and scored
on a single by Ivan Rodriguez. The Rangers then loaded the bases
before Trombley retired Rafael Palmeiro on a fly ball.
"He jumped on the first pitch, and luckily popped it up,"
Trombley said.
Conine scored on a double-play grounder in the second, and the
Orioles scored four runs against Pat Mahomes (3-3) in the third.
Chris Richard and Conine hit RBI singles before Delino DeShields
doubled in two runs.
Anderson hit his third homer leading off the fourth for a 6-0
lead.
Caminiti homered and Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI double in the
fifth, but Baltimore got a run in the bottom half when Conine
tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by David Segui.
Mahomes, making his second start of the season, allowed seven
runs, eight hits and three walks in four-plus innings. His ERA
swelled from 3.29 to 4.46.
"Except for the big inning, I thought I pitched OK," he said.
"I wasn't able to keep us in the game and that's why we lost."
Game notes
Orioles RHP Pat Hentgen (elbow tendinitis) was placed on
the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 17. RHP Josh Towers, recalled
from Triple-A Rochester, will start Sunday against Texas. ...
Rangers INF Randy Velarde (pulled hamstring) was placed on the
15-day DL. Texas recalled INF Michael Young from Triple-A Oklahoma,
who flied out as a pinch hitter in the eighth.
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RECAPS
Baltimore 7
Texas 6
Boston 4
Toronto 0
Cleveland 6
NY Yankees 4
Chi. White Sox 8
Detroit 4
Anaheim 6
Tampa Bay 4
Seattle 9
Kansas City 6
Oakland 4
Minnesota 2
Chicago Cubs 1
Milwaukee 0
St. Louis 5
Cincinnati 4
Philadelphia 10
Montreal 8
NY Mets 4
Florida 3
Atlanta 1
Pittsburgh 0
Arizona 7
San Diego 1
Los Angeles 4
Houston 1
Colorado 6
San Francisco 1
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