BASEBALL MISCELLANY

NUMBERS

HANK PETERS: The continuing deterioration of the Baltimore Orioles may yet cost their respected general manager his job. The Orioles have lost 22 of their last 25 games, have set a club record for home losses with 51, are in the process of compiling their worst overall record since going 57-97 in 1955, have won only 1 of 22 series with Eastern Division rivals and are 14-56 against the East. Also, as the once proud pitching deteriorates, the Orioles have started 56 games with rookie pitchers, going 18-38.

AL NIPPER: The Boston Red Sox’s journeyman right-hander has five wins against Toronto, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers this year, which is one more than the Orioles have won against those three teams.

STEVE TROUT: The former Chicago Cubs left-hander hurt the Yankees more than he helped them down the stretch, going 0-4 with a 6.81 earned-run average in 9 starts.

ROB DEER: The Milwaukee Brewers left fielder, having already broken his club record with 180 strikeouts, has a shot at PeteIncaviglia’s American League record of 185, set last year, and Bobby Bonds’ major league record of 189, set with San Francisco in 1970.

KIRBY PUCKETT: If the center fielder of the Minnesota Twins hits three more homers, his club will become the first American League team to boast four players with 30 or more. Kent Hrbek has 33, Tom Brunansky 31 and Gary Gaetti 30. The 1977 Dodgers were the only National League team to accomplish it, boasting Steve Garvey with 33, Reggie Smith 32 and Ron Cey and Dusty Baker with 30 each.

SHANE RAWLEY: The Cy Young Award hopes of the Philadelphia Phillies left hander have crumbled. Rawley had 17 wins Aug. 31 and is 0-4 in five starts since, having allowed 21 earned runs in 22 innings.

STEVE BEDROSIAN: The Phillies’ relief ace has 40 saves, equaling the combined total of the Kansas City Royals, 24, and Red Sox, 16.

MARK McGWIRE: In addition to his 48 homers and 115 RBIs, the Oakland A’s first baseman and a cinch winner of the AL’s rookie award had a .296 batting average as of Friday, including 35 hits in his last 85 at-bats, a .412 average, for 23 games.