4/21/84: Hrbek, Twins wreck Orioles in 13, 11-10

It started with a dramatic 2-out, 2-run single in 9th. Then in the 13th, Kent Hrbek made the comeback complete with a 2-run homer as the Twins stun the defending world series champ Orioles by a score of 11-10 at Memorial Stadium.

It was a tale of two ballgames as the Orioles dominated the early part with runs in 6 of the first 7 innings, highlighted by a 4-run 2nd inning with 5 consecutive hits and a Twins wild pitch producing 4 runs. The Birds produced back-to-back doubles by T-Bone Shelby and Cal Ripken in the 1st and Gary Roenicke and Joe Nolan in the 2nd for a 5-1 lead after 2. Ken Singleton also added a solo homer in the bottom of the 3rd for a 6-1 lead after 3,

The Twins pulled to within 6-4 on a solo homer by Tom Brunansky in the 4th and back-to-back doubles by Gary Gaetti and Tim Laudner plus an RBI single by Darrell Brown in the 5th. A Gary Roenicke sac fly rebuilt the Orioles lead in the 5th, then Pete Filson, in relief of Mike Smithson gave up 2 Oriole runs in the 6th sparked by a leadoff 2-base Twin error in left by Mickey Hatcher. Cal Ripken drove home Todd Cruz, who reached on the error with his 2nd double of the game, then Eddie Murray drove in Ripken with a single, making it 9-4 after 6.

Oriole starter Mike Flanagan pitched 7 strong innings, giving way to LHP relief ace Tippy Martinez in the 8th. After a 1-out walk to Tom Brunansky, Hrbek bounced into a 4-6-3 DP. Martinez got DH Dave Engle to line to Todd Cruz at 3rd and Mickey Hatcher to ground to 3rd. Martinez, however, would not get that 3rd out in the 9th. 

After a walk to Gary Gaetti and a single by Tim Laudner, Len Faedo drove in both runs with a triple, Faedo then scoring on a single by Darrell Brown. Tim Tuefel then doubled Brown to 3rd, forcing the Orioles to bring in Sammy Stewart with the score 9-7 and the tying runs on base. Stewart walked Brunansky to load the bases. Then. Came. Hrbek.  His 2-run single tied the score at 9. The Twins had a chance to go ahead in the 10th with another 2-out rally on a double by Laudner and walks to Faedo and Brown. Tuefel flied to center to end the threat.

Pete Filson, who took over in the 6th, pitched 7 innings of strong relief including 6 scoreless innings in which he allowed 1 hit from the 7th to the 12th. He would be rewarded in the 13th when Brunansky reached on a leadoff error by Lenn Sakata at 2nd. Then. Came. Hrbek. Again. His 2-run homer off Tom Underwood broke the tie. Ron Davis would retire Cruz with a strikeout and Sakata on a bouncer to 3rd. John Shelby would hit a solo shot to cut the lead to 11-10, then Davis got Cal Ripken swinging and missing, ending an early season classic in B-more.

MIN 11-15-1 BAL 10-13-1 WP-Filson LP-Underwood SV-Davis HR-Hatcher, Singleton, Brunansky, Hrbek. GWRBI-Hrbek MIN 7-8 BAL 9-4

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