It’s August 4, 1996, and the O’s bullpen imploded in epic fashion as Cleveland scored 11 times in the bottom of the eighth to turn a tight 3-2 game into a 14-2 laugher.

The game was much closer than the final score. In the top of the eighth, it looked like O’s third baseman B.J. Surhoff had crushed a go-ahead two-run homer. But Cleveland star center fielder Kenny Lofton climbed the wall in center field and caught the ball. 

“He was climbing the fence like Spider-Man,” Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar told reporters, including the Sun’s Buster Olney. (Baltimore Sun, p. 1C, August 5, 1996)

“Only someone with extraordinary human qualities could make that catch,” said O’s reliever Roger McDowell, who combined with Jesse Orosco and Keith Shepherd to give up all 11 runs in the bottom half of the inning after Lofton’s heroics.

“To the wrong part of the park, to the wrong guy,” a dejected Surhoff said. “It looks hard, but it’s even harder than it looks.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 6C, August 5, 1996)

Solo home runs by Bobby Bonilla and Jeffrey Hammonds accounted for all the scoring by the O’s, as Cleveland’s Brian Anderson and three relievers gave up 11 hits, but just a couple runs.

O’s rookie starter Rocky Coppinger pitched well, going into the seventh and giving up just three runs (two earned). But the bullpen implosion saddled him with his third loss of the season.

In addition to his heroics in the field, Lofton also homered and scored three times. Jim Thome and Brian Giles also homered for Cleveland.

Right now, the gap between these two teams seems vast. 

Here’s the box score with the not-so-lovely totals. 

Eddie Murray has already made a good impression in his first week back with the team. “He’s always offering encouragement to everybody on the ballclub,” said O’s manager Davey Johnson to Olney. “He’s a gamer, a battler. I can’t say enough good about him.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 6C, August 5, 1996)

Johnson is already saying he’d be open to the 40-year-old returning next year.

“Nothing in this game is for certain,” he said. “But with what he’s done for this organization, and the way he’s been with this ballclub, I wouldn’t preclude [Murray coming back]. … I would love to have more guys I can write into the lineup like him, of his pedigree and his potential.”

Bobby Bo homered for the second straight game and Jeffrey Hammonds hit his first homer since coming back from the minors.

Orioles (55-54) at Cleveland, (67-44), 7:05 p.m.

Starting Pitchers
BAL – LHP David Wells (8-10, 4.59 ERA)
CLE – RHP Charles Nagy (12-3, 3.57 ERA)

Sun foreign correspondent Ann LoLordo has quite a story on the front page under the headline “Israeli teens go to woods for all-night drug parties.”

The headline says most of the story here, but apparently kids in Israel are going to “acid parties” in the woods and taking LSD, ecstasy and other hallucinogens.

The primary suspect in this alleged upturn in drug use, according to Israeli police, is the United States.

“It’s not an Israeli invention,” said Simon Perry, chief of the narcotics unit of the Israeli national police. “It’s something we imported. Everything you have in the States yesterday, you’ll have today in Europe, tomorrow in Israel.”

Drugs are never a domestic thing, no no, they are always from foreign influence. It is interesting that the Israeli police are saying that the evil foreign influence here is the U.S., though.

At least some people in Israel are saying that the increase in drug use, particularly designer drugs, is a trend that coincides with the country’s growing affluence.

“We are not the same people as we were before,” said Ya’ir Golan, a criminal defense lawyer LoLordo spoke with in Jerusalem. “We are not as idealistic. Everyone is concerned about their own comfort, condition. More egocentric.”

One interesting part of this article is another quote from Perry at the very end, which is in stark contrast to the U.S.’s draconian “War on Drugs” that is now over a decade old.

“There is no battle and no victory,” said Perry. “You have to think about the drug problem as a social problem and you have to deal with it with social tools. We as police say that we cannot solve the drug problem.”

What a concept…

Welcome to a recurring segment where I find fun things in today’s (in 1996) Baltimore Sun!

Pro football (preseason) is back in Baltimore.