Victory Is Complete for Ponson

Sidney Ponson of the Baltimore Orioles was on the brink of his first career complete game when he ran into trouble in the ninth inning.

After each batter, the right-hander peered into the dugout, fully expecting to be removed by Manager Ray Miller.

Ponson hung on, however, retiring the heart of the Texas Rangers’ order to complete a six-hitter in the Orioles’ 3-2 victory Friday night.

Ponson (4-3) had retired 13 batters in a row before the ninth, when Mark McLemore drew a leadoff walk and Rusty Greer followed with a double. With Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez to follow, a 3-1 lead suddenly looked shaky.

Miller came out and told Ponson to “be a man and take each batter one at a time.”

After Gonzalez drove in a run with a groundout, Ponson proceeded to strike out Palmeiro and got Rodriguez to fly out to right to end the game.

“I kept looking and looking for Ray to come out. I’m glad he left me in,” Ponson said.

Charles Johnson hit a three-run homer in the seventh for the Orioles, who won for only the third time in 11 games.

Palmeiro, returning to Camden Yards for the first time since signing with the Rangers in December, homered on the first pitch to lead off the second.