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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- This walk-off stuff is starting to grow
on Scott Spiezio.
Spiezio singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth
inning, rallying the Anaheim Angels to an 8-7 victory over the
Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.
His timely, broken-bat single to center came with the same bat
he used when he hit the second of back-to-back home runs in the
ninth inning Sunday to beat the Texas Rangers.
"You don't want to get used to these kind of things because you
want to have the lead going into the ninth. But I'll take as many
as I can get, as long as they win games," Spiezio said. "It
wasn't the prettiest thing, but I'll take any kind of a hit for a
win."
AL batting leader Darin Erstad tied it at 7 with an RBI single
off Mike Timlin (0-1) in the eighth.
Timlin walked Tim Salmon leading off the ninth, and Anderson
sacrificed. After Troy Glaus was intentionally walked, Spiezio
lined a 1-0 pitch to center that scored Salmon and sent Baltimore
to its eighth loss in nine games.
"Spiezio's ball was a sinker down and away that broke his bat
and just happened to go where we weren't," Timlin said after his
first blown save in four chances. It was the 10th blown save for
Baltimore, most in the AL.
"Anytime you have a game that you should win and don't, it's
terribly frustrating," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said.
Troy Percival (1-2) earned the victory with an inning of hitless
relief, despite walking three batters.
Cal Ripken, starting at third base after missing four games
because of scar tissue inflammation in his back, hit an RBI double
in the first inning for the Orioles. Albert Belle drove in three
runs for Baltimore.
Pat Rapp, who lasted only 3 1/3 innings last Thursday against Boston, pitched six innings and gave up four runs and five hits,
including Glaus' 11th homer.
The Orioles took a 3-0 lead in the first but gave it right back.
They regained the lead in the second on a bases-loaded, two-run
infield single by Belle off Scott Schoeneweis. The left-hander was
charged with seven runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.
"Even thought it wasn't a great outing, we still came out with
a victory. And that's all that matters," Schoeneweis said. "It
just shows the type of character that we have on this team.
"They're a great group of guys and they battle every time out.
I spotted Baltimore an early lead but we just keep coming right
back. I can't say enough about these guys. They've picked me up
almost every time."
With two outs and the runners moving on a 3-2 pitch, Glaus
charged Belle's slow grounder to third and failed to make the
barehanded pickup as Rich Amaral hustled home right behind Charles
Johnson.
The Orioles added an unearned run in the sixth when B.J. Surhoff
walked, stole second and scored on Glaus' error.
After Glaus homered in the bottom half, Delino DeShields led off
the seventh with a double and scored on Jeff Conine's sacrifice fly
to give Baltimore a 7-4 lead.
Game notes
Ripken grounded into a double play for the 328th time in
his 20-year career, tying the major league record set by Hank
Aaron. ... Keith Luuloa, promoted from the Angels' Triple-A
Edmonton club after Tuesday night's game, made his major league
debut as a pinch-runner for Bengie Molina and scored a run. Luuloa
joined Onan Masaoka of the Dodgers and Benny Agbayani of the Mets
as the only current Hawaiian-born players in the majors. ... Rapp
outlasted Benji Gil in a 15-pitch duel, striking him out in the fourth inning after nine consecutive foul balls. ... Tim Belcher,
who hasn't pitched for the Angels since undergoing surgery on his
right elbow Dec. 2, threw off a mound for 10 minutes (all
fastballs) and reported no discomfort. He'll repeat the routine
Saturday. ... Rapp and Schoeneweis combined to throw 100 pitches
during the first two innings.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Baltimore Clubhouse
Anaheim Clubhouse
RECAPS
Texas 11
Tampa Bay 6
Kansas City 4
Oakland 3
Cleveland 7
Detroit 2
NY Yankees 9
Chi. White Sox 4
Boston 8
Toronto 0
Anaheim 8
Baltimore 7
Seattle 4
Minnesota 0
Los Angeles 8
Chicago Cubs 6
Pittsburgh 9
Cincinnati 6
Florida 4
San Diego 2
Montreal 10
Arizona 2
Philadelphia 5
St. Louis 4
NY Mets 4
Colorado 2
Atlanta 5
San Francisco 4
Houston 0
Milwaukee 0
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