Mussina, Orioles Shutout Tigers

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

April 11, 1998 / 7:07 PM EDT / CBS Sportsline

Mike Mussina allowed only two hits in eight innings and notched his 1,000th career strikeout Saturday, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Mussina (2-1) struck out nine and walked two -- his first in 23 innings this season. The right-hander overpowered the Tigers, allowing only a single in the second and fourth innings.

Armando Benitez walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth before getting his third save.

Baltimore scored its runs in the first on three successive singles and an RBI rounder off Justin Thompson (1-2)

Jeffrey Hammonds was credited with a single on a grounder that seemed to take a bad hop on Detroit shortstop Bill Ripken. Hammonds went to third on Rafael Palmeiro's single and scored on a single by Joe Carter. Cal Ripken's grounder drove in Palmeiro.

Thompson didn't give up another hit until Jeff Roboulet's two-out single in the seventh, his last inning. He struck out six and set the Orioles down in order in the third, fourth and sixth.

It was an old story of nonsupport for Thompson, who was 15-11 last season. The Tigers produced only 13 runs in those 11 losses, including four on shutouts.

Notes:

Mussina has set an Orioles record for strikeouts in each of the past two seasons with 204 in 1996 and 218 last year.

Mussina recorded strikeout 1,000th when he got Bip Roberts looking in the sixth. But when he tossed the ball to the dugout for safekeeping, Mussina inadvertently tossed it over the dugout and into the stands. It was easily the worst throw Mussina made all day, although a fan did give it back.

Jeff Roboulet made a nice defensive play in the fifth, diving to his right to knock down Joe Randa's grounder. Roboulet, from his knees, then made a strong throw to get Randa at first.

After opening the season 1-5 on the road, the Tigers were aiming to start 3-0 at home for the first time since 1993.

The victory enabled Baltimore to move ahead 181-180 in the all-time series with the Tigers.

Runyan has appeared in eight of Detroit's first nine games. At that pace, he would appear in 144 games this season.

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