On August 16, the Birds face a showdown with the powerful Jays, who trail the O's by a game and a half as they arrive at Memorial Stadium. In game one, however, the Birds give notice that they won't go down quietly, as Cal blasts a two-run shot during an eight run fourth inning, and the Birds take home a 11-6 win. On Friday night, the O's lose. and they lose again on Saturday despite Bob Milacki's complete game three-hitter. On Sunday, the team is in dire straits. They lead both Milwaukee and Toronto by a half game. They have no rested starter, they aren't hitting, and the opposition hurler is the ace of the Jays, Dave Steib.

Frank Robinson choose Pete Harnisch to start on three days rest. In the second inning, Tony Fernandez streaks around the bases on a Nelson Liriano single, but Joe Orsulak's one-hop throw and Jamie Quirk's blocking Fernandez off the plate resulted in an out. One out later, Rene Gonzales, playing second, is moving to cover the bag on a steal attempt, but Junior Felix strikes a line drive right into the hole left by Gonzo. Somehow, Gonzales reaches back and snares the liner.

There are more outstanding plays in the third. Harnisch makes a nice play on a Mookie Wilson drag bunt. Quirk catches a ball up against the backstop, and Phil Bradley dives on the warning track to take a double or tripe away from Fred McGriff.

In the fifth, the Jays have runners on second and third, no outs. Harnisch once again closes the door.

Meanwhile, Larry Sheets is going 3 for 4, and Mike Devereaux is stroking a homer, as the Orioles run off Steib on their way to a 7-2 victory.

Meanwhile, however, the Brewers have won nine out of ten. Guess who is next to face the Birds.

Jeff Ballard answers the first call, also pitching on short rest. In the fourth, he allows the first two runners to reach, leaving runners on second and third, no outs, with Glenn Braggs, Robin Yount, and Greg Brock on deck (3-4-5). Braggs pops to first on a jam shot. Yount pops to second, also on an inside pitch riding in, and Brock grounds out. 32,000 frenzied fans roar their approval as the O's are dugout bound. The first batter for the O's in their half, Stan Jefferson, strokes a home run, and more bedlam ensues. In the fifth, Cal nails a three run blast.

Then again, there's the defense. Ballard picks off Braggs. Bradley throws out Yount trying to stretch a single. Worthington makes a great play from the hole behind third. Billy ranges onto the outfield grass to make an out from a single, abd Cal and Devo also turn in outstanding plays.

Ballard turns all that effort into a shutout, the first one in Oriole history with neither a walk nor a strikeout.

The next night, Dave Johnson also takes the mound on short rest, against Chris Bosio, who is 14-7 with a 2.55 ERA.

In the first, the offense tries to spark the team first. Stan Jefferson steals second and third, and comes home on a Joe Orsulak sacrifice. They add three more in the second. Bob Melvin, Billy Rip. Worthington and Traber all make outstanding plays in the field.

Then the rain comes. Two hours worth.

When the teams return, so, incredibly, does Dave Johnson. He tosses a complete game as the Birds win, 4-2. Johnson now has the team lead in complete games with three, all in the last 15 days.

On August 23, the team faces another obstacle. Billy Ripken and Craig Worthington were both injured the night before, so Tim Hulett is called up from Rochester. Meanwhile, Bob Milacki is the next Oriole hurler to work on short rest. As usual, the hard luck pitcher goes into the seventh down 1-0. But in the bottom of the seventh, Keith Moreland, who has done almost nothing since being picked up, strokes a bases-loaded ground rule double. As Moreland stands on second, the crowd begins to chant, "SWEEP...SWEEP...SWEEP." And sweep the O's did, taking their eighth win in 11 tries.

Now it's on to the Bronx for five with the Yankees. They do exactly what they hoped to do...take four out of the five. The Yankee announcers note that the only way you can hit a liner into the Baltimore outfield is to hit it over the fence.

As the Birds move to Cleveland, they lose the first game 3-1, before rebounding to beat Greg Swindell and the Tribe 7-4. It's the seventh game to this point in August the O's played with a game or less lead. They have won them all.

But the Jays are on fire now. They sweep the White Sox, and on the final day of the month, it finally happens. The Birds lose the last tilt with the Indians, and the Jays' victory propels them into a tie. For the first time in 97 days, the Orioles must share first place with another team. Both team stand at 72-62 heading into September.

Of course, everyone had been saying this was bound to happen. But, the Birds are still here.

There's a new saying flying around Baltimore. It started in Memorial Stadium, during the sweep of Milwaukee. A banner in right field unfurled to revel two simple words: "WHY NOT?" By the time the Orioles return home, it's plastered all over the stadium. A vendor makes t-shirts, and even a song is quickly recorded and played on radio stations. WHY NOT, indeed.