Orioles Lose Amid Concern for Mussina

The Baltimore Orioles lost the game, 5-4, on Thursday but the scoreboard seemed unimportant next to the sight of Mike Mussina crumpled on the pitcher’s mound at Camden Yards.

Cleveland broke a six-game losing streak--its longest in six years--when Travis Fryman hit a two-run homer one batter after a line drive off the bat of Sandy Alomar struck Mussina just over his right eyebrow.

Mussina left the game under his own power and X-rays indicated he had suffered a broken nose. There was also a bloody gash.

And some relief, because it could have been much worse.

“In the replay, he tucked at the last minute and kept it out of his eye socket, thank God,” Oriole Manager Ray Miller said. “It was hit so hard he didn’t have time to get his hands up.”

Mussina retired eight consecutive batters before he was struck and lay motionless on the ground for two minutes. He was helped to his feet and walked off the field.

“When I saw that the ball hit Mike, I felt it in my heart because he’s a great competitor, regardless of who he is,” Alomar said. “. . . It was devastating. That’s the thing about this sport--sometimes it can be dangerous.”

Said Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove: “It hit flush. You heard it hit. You saw him drop to the ground and [knew] it was not good. I’m glad that he’s OK.”

Miller said Mussina might be kept overnight for observation and that plastic surgery could be needed to repair the gash above his eye.

Alomar was credited with a single, and after Arthur Rhodes (2-2) replaced Mussina, Fryman homered to right-center to help the Indians avoid losing seven seven consecutive games for the first time since June 27-July 3, 1992.

Texas 7, New York 5--Rusty Greer drove in six runs, hitting a game-tying single in the ninth inning and a two-run homer in the 13th for the Rangers, who overcame a five-run deficit to win at New York.

The Yankees, who had been 11-1 at home, led, 5-0, in the eighth inning before the bullpen faltered.

Hideki Irabu, making his first home start this season, gave up three hits in seven scoreless innings and lowered his earned-run average to 1.11.

The Yankees lost for only the fourth time in 29 games, and Mariano Rivera blew a save for only the second time in 10 chances.

Greer hit a three-run homer off Mike Stanton in the eighth inning. Jeff Nelson then gave up a double to Juan Gonzalez and consecutive bloop singles to Will Clark and Ivan Rodriguez that pulled Texas to 5-4.

Pinch-hitter Luis Alicea singled off Rivera to lead off the ninth inning, was sacrificed to second and scored on Greer’s single.

Dan Patterson (1-1), the sixth of seven Texas pitchers, gave up one hit in two innings, and former Yankee John Wetteland pitched the 13th for his 11th save in as many chances.

Minnesota 2, Boston 1--After giving up a leadoff triple, Dan Naulty struck out the side in the ninth inning to preserve a 1-1 tie, and the Twins won in the 12th inning on Pat Meares’ two-out, bases-loaded single at Minneapolis.

The Twins have won three consecutive games, and Boston has lost four consecutive.

The Red Sox’s Pedro Martinez gave up six hits in eight innings with a walk and 11 strikeouts. It was his 31st game with double-digit strikeouts and his fourth this season. He extended his AL-leading strikeout total to 83 and lowered his AL-best ERA to 1.79.

Chicago 5, Seattle 3--Greg Norton, facing Mariner ace Randy Johnson for the first time, homered twice and drove in three runs in a win at Chicago.

It was Johnson’s first loss at Comiskey Park and only his third overall against Chicago in 17 starts.

Norton, who hit his first homer of the season two days earlier, started at third base in place of Robin Ventura, who has struggled against Johnson (3-2) his entire career.

Norton hit a solo homer to left field in his first at-bat, cutting the Mariners’ lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning. He struck out swinging in the fourth. But with the score tied, 3-3, and Mike Cameron on first base in the sixth inning, Norton homered again to drive in the game-winning runs.

Kansas City 10, Tampa Bay 2--Johnny Damon hit a grand slam and Tim Belcher won for the first time since opening day to complete a two-game Royal sweep at St. Petersburg.

Damon’s second-inning homer off Dennis Springer (1-6), who loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter, gave him six RBIs in the series. Jeff Conine also hit a solo homer off Springer, who has lost six consecutive decisions.

Belcher stopped his five-game losing streak, limiting the Devil Rays to six hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked two to win for the first time since beating Baltimore 4-1 on March 31.

After scoring one run in each of Belcher’s previous three starts, the Royals supported him with 12 hits, including their first homers in six games.