The "Why Nots?" faced their first week long road trip from April 23-30th, and most everyone that followed the club expected them to return bloodied and bowed. The first stop was California, and they lose the opener of the abbreviated two game set, 3-2, stranding six runners at second. Just as it appeared that the O's magic might finally be petering out after three weeks, Jeff Ballard comes to the rescue, scattering six hits over seven innings, while the offense, featuring five players hitting under .210, rang up four homers, dropping the Angels by a score of 8-1.
Now, it's on to the defending World Champion A's. Game One turns out to be an early turning point in a season replete with them.
Bob Welsh and J.J. Bautista are hooked up in an improbable pitching duel. No one is surprised by Welsh holding the O's scoreless for seven innings, but Bautista has only given up one run of his own. In the eighth, the O's, who have but one hit to this point, strike. Jim Traber walks, and Orsulak pinch hits for Worthington. Joltin' Joe also works Welsh for a base on balls. Randy Milligan enters the game as a pinch runner for Traber. Billy Rip steps into the box, and pops up an attempted sacrifice bunt, but Ron Hassey and Mark McGuire let it fall between them. Bases loaded. Devo pinch hits for Anderson, and draws a bases-loaded walk from reliever Greg Caderet. Steve Finley later singles to plate another run.
In the ninth, protecting a one run lead, Gregg Olson enters a game as the closer for the first time. Olson puts down the top of the A's order in the eighth, and in the ninth, strikes out Dave Parker, then Dave Henderson, and finally Mark McGuire to win the game, 2-1. Olson's sweeping late breaking hook froze all three batters, all of them taking strike three called. McGuire's knee-buckling reaction to Olson's final pitch is still an occasional highlight at Camden Yards, and is etched on the memory of every O's fan who watched the game on TV.
Reality returned the next day in the form of a poor pitching performance by Pete Harnisch, who was just returning to active status after a 16-dat bout with the flu. He was hammered by the A's, and the O's lost, 9-4. Harnisch was optioned to Rochester after the game in favor of Jay Tibbs, who had three great starts with the Red Wings, pitching to a 0.93 ERA.
After losing the final game in the set, and dropping the Friday opener in Seattle, the O's were 2-4 on the trip, and Frank Robinson held a closed door session prior to the Saturday tilt. Jeff Ballard emerges to pitch another gem, as he trails by a run in the eighth, 3-2. The O's have scored their two runs on a sacrifice fly and two bunt, but in the eighth, they get a visit from Dr. Longball as Mickey Tettleton dials up a two run shot, and the O's prevail, 4-3, as Ballard moves to 5-0.
The road trip finishes, and the O's are tied atop the AL East with the Yankees, albeit at a modest 12-12. Nevertheless, the Little Team That Could had finished a month on a much higher note than anyone could have expected, as Jeff Ballard was deservedly named AL Pitcher of the Month, with his 5-0 record and 1.46 ERA.
It was good to be an O's fan again.
NEXT TIME: The Merry Month of May Begins