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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Every once in a while, Mike Mussina flashes the
form that enabled him to win 18 games last year and finish second
in AL Cy Young voting.
The Kansas City Royals were victimized by such a performance
Monday night.
|  | | Mike Mussina won for just the second time in eight starts. "It's been a tough year, not just for myself but for the whole
club," he said. |
Mussina allowed one unearned run in seven innings to win for
just the second time in eight starts, and the Baltimore Orioles
beat the Royals 2-1 for a split of the four-game series.
Brook Fordyce singled in a run and scored one for the Orioles,
who managed only five runs in the series. Baltimore won the last
two games by identical scores.
Mussina (8-13) allowed six hits, striking out six and walking
one. He had lost three straight starts and was 1-6 since July 7.
"It's been a tough year, not just for myself but for the whole
club," he said.
Mussina left after splitting open a callous on his right thumb.
He expects to take his next turn in the rotation.
It had been three weeks since Mussina's last impressive outing,
when he pitched a one-hitter against the Minnesota Twins. Though
that win ended a three-game losing streak, it proved costly.
"I think that one-hitter took more out of me than I thought it
did," he said. "I didn't have good stuff for two starts after
that, and last time out I just didn't feel good."
Just 10 days earlier, the right-hander allowed seven runs and 11
hits in a loss to Kansas City.
"He had redemption to give us for that game last series. He
came to pitch," Royals leadoff hitter Johnny Damon said. "We know
what kind of pitcher Mike Mussina is. He's definitely one of the
best pitchers out there, despite his record."
Buddy Groom and Mike Trombley worked the eighth, and rookie Ryan
Kohlmeier got three outs for his fifth save in five tries.
Mussina outdueled Brian Meadows (2-1), who gave up one earned
run and seven hits in his second complete game in 87 major league
starts. It was his fourth start since the Royals acquired him in a
July 31 trade with San Diego.
Royals starters allowed only three earned runs in 33 innings
during the series, but Kansas City had only a split to show for it.
"We pitched four great ballgames in this ballpark. That's the
best I think we've pitched all year -- back to back to back to
back," Royals manager Tony Muser said.
Jermaine Dye had three hits and an RBI for the Royals, 9-43 when
scoring four runs or fewer.
Baltimore snapped a scoreless game with a two-run fifth. Chris
Richard led off with a double and came home on a single to right by
Fordyce, who took third on an errant throw by Dye. Luis Matos
followed with a sacrifice fly.
"I tried to make a great play. I overthrew the ball, and it
just sailed, " Dye said.
Dye had an RBI single in the sixth after a two-out error by
third baseman Jeff Conine. Joe Randa then grounded out with runners
at first and third.
Gregg Zaun hit a two-out double in the seventh before Mussina
retired Wilson Delgado on a grounder. Mark Quinn grounded out
against Trombley with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth.
Damon opened the game with a single, tying the longest hitting
streak of his career at 16 games. The Royals added a walk and a
single in the first, but went down in order in the next three
innings.
Mussina's run ended when Quinn opened the fifth with a single,
snapping an 0-for-13 skid.
Game notes
After the game, the Orioles optioned 3B Ryan Minor to
Triple-A Rochester and called up IF Mike Kinkade from the same
club. Kinkade was acquired from the New York Mets in the Mike
Bordick trade. Minor was hitting .152 in 24 games with Baltimore.
... LF Brady Anderson started for Baltimore after missing 10
straight games with a sprained right wrist. He went 0-for-4. ...
The Royals' Rey Sanchez bounced into his team-leading 12th double
play in the first inning. ... KC won the season series 7-3. ...
Mussina is 11-5 against the Royals. ... KC had won six straight
with Zaun behind the plate.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Kansas City Clubhouse
Baltimore Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Yankees 12
Texas 3
Boston 7
Anaheim 6
Detroit 3
Oakland 1
Baltimore 2
Kansas City 1
Tampa Bay 11
Chi. White Sox 4
Cincinnati 7
Philadelphia 4
Houston 5
Chicago Cubs 4
St. Louis 7
Pittsburgh 4
Atlanta 7
Colorado 4
Milwaukee 16
Arizona 8
San Diego 5
NY Mets 4
Montreal 4
Los Angeles 1
San Francisco 6
Florida 0
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