The Baltimore Orioles haven’t had a good season in some years, but this has got to be the worst game ever:
BALTIMORE, Aug. 22 — The Texas Rangers rounded the bases at a dizzying pace and became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.
“This is something freaky. You won’t see anything like this again for a long, long time. I am glad I was on this end of it,” said Marlon Byrd, who hit one of two Texas grand slams in the first game of a doubleheader.
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).
After falling behind 3-0 in the opener, Texas couldn’t be stopped. At last, the last-place Rangers did something right.
“We set a record for something on the good side of baseball,” Manager Ron Washington said.
Texas kept right on hitting in the second game, too, although at a decidedly tamer pace. Travis Metcalf drove in four runs and the Rangers used a three-run eighth for a 9-7 victory and a sweep.
Texas set an AL record for runs in a doubleheader, surpassing the 36 scored by Detroit in 1937.
The second game, however, will forever be regarded as a postscript to the incredible opener.
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.
Yuck.
Holy crap! And in their own house, too! Can you imagine being there for that? I mean, I’ve been to blowouts before, where fans and players are just wishing it could all be over, but DAMN!
This really hurts my head. Baltimore was just starting to look like a viable team (even if it was too late in the season), and have been giving New York such a hard time that they might be able to claim to be a big part of why Boston still holds such a big lead on them. But now, Baltimore will be known for nothing but this.
I sure hope the O’s can come back and score 31 in a game this season or the only high point of the season remaining will be Cal’s induction into the Hall of Fame.
The most ironic thing of all is that this happened on the same day that the Orioles announced they were extended the contract of the Manager through the 2008 season