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.
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:40 am
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!
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:13 pm
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.
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:19 pm
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