Apr. 27, 1963 - Dean Stone induced Felix Torres to hit into a game-ending doubled play with two men on base today as the Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels in Baltimore, 4-2. The pitch by Stone, a relief hurler, preserved the victory for 20-year-old rookie Dave McNally. Jackie Brandt (pictured), who had a perfect day at the plate, hit his third home run of the year for the first-place O’s in the second inning. Joe Gaines added a homer in the third. Both were hit off Bo Belinsky. McNally, who gained his second victory of the year, has yet to be beaten in three major league decisions. He only surrendered one walk and held the Angels to four hits until he weakened a bit in the ninth, and Oriole manager Billy Hitchcock made a reluctant decision to lift his blossoming southpaw star after Albie Pearson had blooped a single to left. After O’s reliever Dick Hall recorded the first out, Hitchcock went to the bullpen again and brought out veteran southpaw Stone. This moved produced a momentary backfire when Lee Thomas spiked a single to center, advancing Pearson to second. Now the potential tying runs were aboard, and the Angels’ cleanup batter, Felix Torres, stepped in. Hitchcock stuck with Stone, however, who persuaded Torres to slap a grounder to Bob Johnson. The shortstop stand-in for the injured Luis Aparicio converted a snappy game-ending double play. As for McNally, he is thinking big league, and big league only, all the way these days. “I was real happy to get this game in before the cutdown date,” the southpaw said after winning today’s decision. “These days are important — damn important,” he said, aware of the fact that the Orioles must cut 3 players within the next 2 weeks to get down to the 25-man limit. His object is to escape the minors. “He knows when the cutdown date is — he’s a pretty smart lad,” Hitchcock said. “He pitched an outstanding game.” McNally didn’t realize he was tiring until he got into the clubhouse and sat down. “You never feel tired when you’re pitching,” he remarked. “It’s only when you get out of there and sit around awhile that it catches up to you. I’m very happy the way everything turned out. We won, and that’s all that counts. But I would like to have finished — naturally.” Belinsky, who pitched a no-hitter against Baltimore last May, is still looking for his first victory of the season.
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