Texas Freaks Out Baltimore By Highest Score in 110 Years
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For 3 innings, Baltimore’s starter Daniel Cabrera held a 3-0 lead allowing the Texas Rangers but 3 hits. Cabrera actually went clean in the 2nd inning.
But then, beginning in the 4th inning, more than the roof caved in on losing pitcher Cabrera and 3 other Oriole relievers to the tune of 30 runs over the final 6 innings, including grand slams by rookie 3rd baseman Travis Metcalf and centerfielder Marlon Byrd, as the Rangers bulked up their batting averages and decimated the Orioles with 5 runs in the 4th inning, 9 in the 6th, 10 in the 8th and 6 more for good measure in the 9th for in handling Baltimore a 30-3 humiliation in the first game of their doubleheader.
The Rangers then added insult to injury in sweeping the twin bill with a comeback 9-7 win in the nitecap.
The 30-3 debacle was the worst massacre sustained in MLB in 110 years. The only rout that I can recall in modern-day of the magnitude of this debacle took place when the Phillies overran the Mets by a 26-7 score on June 11, 1985 at Veteran’s Stadium as Charles Hudson got the win despite giving up 7 runs on 13 hits in 5 innings. Leftfielder Von Hayes clubbed two homers and drove in 6 runs out of the lead-off spot and Phils routed Mets’ starter lefthander Tom Gorman for 6 runs in 1/3 of the first inning and bludgeoned relievers Calvin Schiraldi and Joe Sambito for 10 runs each. The total run output by both the Phillies and Mets equaled the 33 runs scored by the Rangers and Orioles.
AP Sports Writer David Ginsburg consulted the recordbook on all-time poundings for Yahoo sports and recounts some of the Rangers’ heavy hitters;
It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“It was AMAZING in capital letters,” said Metcalf, who hit a grand slam after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma earlier in the day.
Hours after announcing manager Dave Trembley would return for the 2008 season, the Orioles absorbed the most lopsided loss in franchise history and set a team record for hits allowed in a game (29).
“I’d say whatever we threw, they hit it. It’s that simple,” Trembley said. “They say hitting is contagious, and that certainly was the case in the first game. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The Rangers had totaled 28 runs in their previous nine games, including two runs on seven hits in their last two.
The Rangers set a team record for runs scored in a doubleheader — before the second game even started.
“You don’t want to be the one to make the out. You feel like you have to get a hit every time up,” Byrd said.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez, the bottom two batters in Texas’ lineup, each homered twice and finished with seven RBIs. The last time two teammates had as many as seven RBIs in a game was 1962, when Elston Howard had eight and Mickey Mantle added seven for the New York Yankees against the Kansas City Athletics.
“That was ridiculous. I have never been in anything like that in my life,” said Saltalamacchia, who went 4-for-6 with a walk and scored five runs. He came in batting .179 and finished at .262.
David Murphy had five of the Rangers’ 29 hits, the most by a major league team since Milwaukee had 31 in a 22-2 victory over Toronto on Aug. 28, 1992, according to Elias.
Texas’ 30 RBIs set a major league record. The Rangers had 57 at-bats, tying the AL mark for a nine-inning game set by Milwaukee in its 1992 rout of Toronto.
The Rangers added five points to their team batting average, raising it to .258. They finished with more runs than outs made (27).
Baltimore’s ERA went from 4.39 to 4.60.
Kason Gabbard (6-1) allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings. He is 2-1 in six starts since Texas acquired him from Boston on July 31.
Even with the one-sided score, there was a save. Wes Littleton earned his second career save and first this season by pitching three scoreless innings.
Texas erased a 3-0 deficit by batting around in a five-run fourth. Saltalamacchia hit a two-run single and, after a visit from pitching coach Leo Mazzone, Daniel Cabrera (9-13) gave up a three-run homer to Vazquez.
Texas got 10 hits — matching a club record for one inning — in the sixth and went up 14-3.
Cabrera left after serving up a home run to Saltalamacchia. Brian Burres yielded two singles and a walk before Byrd hit his third career slam. Saltalamacchia, Vazquez, Frank Catalanotto and Ian Kinsler added RBI singles.
Texas got seven hits in the eighth. Metcalf hit his first career slam and Saltalamacchia added a three-run shot.
Vazquez’s second homer highlighted a six-run ninth.
I find it a great mystery of baseball how Littleton could have been credited with a save in the midst of such a rout. Veteran Rangers’ slugger Sammy Sosa saw no game-time during this rout.
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