Even in the midst of the worst season in Baltimore baseball history, there was Orioles Magic to be had. Larry Sheets delivered the first dose of it in 1988, first with a game-tying sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning and then with a game-winning double in the bottom of the 11th inning. Those heroics gave the O’s a 4-3 win versus the Minnesota Twins at Memorial Stadium on this day in Orioles history, May 4, 1988.
Sheets’ sac fly off Jeff Reardon scored Cal Ripken Jr., who doubled leading off the ninth inning and then moved to third on an Eddie Murray ground out. The RBI tied things up again after the Twins had scored twice in the top half of the inning against Doug Sisk to take their first lead of the game. Later, Sheets’ double again scored Ripken, who walked with one down in the 11th.
The win improved the Orioles’ record to 3-24. Two games later they would get their second walk-off of the season on a Joe Orsulak bases-loaded single. The O’s had nine walk-offs altogether in 1988. They wouldn’t get back-to-back victories until May 22 and would finish the season with a 54-107 record.
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