It’s July 3, 1996, and Ed Sprague’s fifth-inning grand slam would be all that Juan Guzman and the Jays would need, as they dispatched the O’s 5-2 in the series finale in Toronto.

Orioles manager Davey Johnson was desperately hoping starter Rick Krivda would last long enough to give the bullpen time to warm up. But alas, Sprague’s blast turned a 1-1 tie into what would be an insurmountable lead.

The O’s finished up their 10-game road trip to Texas, New York, and Toronto at 5-5. Not a disaster, but also not spectacular.

“It was still a decent road trip,” Johnson said. “We pitched well. I think some pretty good things are happening. Ripken continues to swing a good bat.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 1D, July 4, 1996)

Shortstop Cal Ripken hit a solo homer to account for one of the team’s two runs. It was his 16th dinger of the season. But the team couldn’t do much else as Guzman gave up one run on just six hits in seven innings to earn his seventh win of the season.

As Johnson said afterwards, “Except for one pitch, that was a pretty good ballgame.” But alas, that pitch did happen and Sprague didn’t miss it.

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

With the 81st game in the books, we are officially halfway through the 1996 season and the O’s are five games back of the Yankees in the AL East. However, they are just two back of the White Sox for the wild card spot.

Johnson is optimistic. “We just need to make a move now, whether we’re at home or on the road. We just need to be more consistent. … I like this team. It’s got a lot of character and a lot of talented players. To me, there are a lot of talented teams in the AL, and we're one of them.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 5D, July 4, 1996) 

81 down, 81 to go. Will this season be remembered for Orioles Magic? Will we get to the playoffs for the first time since 1983? Will Brady keep launching bombs??? We’ll have to stay tuned to find out.

Cal adds a lonely brick.

Orioles (44-37) at Red Sox (34-47) 4:05 p.m.
BOS – RHP Tim Wakefield (5-8, 6.37 ERA)
BAL – RHP Mike Mussina (10-5, 5.04 ERA)

The number one song in America, as it has been for about two months now, remains “Tha Crossroads” by Cleveland’s finest, Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony. So once again we will go to a different chart, and this time we will look to the Alternative chart, where “Pepper” by the Butthole Surfers has reached #1. Definitely a classic. Enjoy!

The Supreme Court is taking the summer off after releasing a slew of rulings this week. I guess a “slew” is relative, because so far this year the court has issued the fewest rulings in 42 years. Justice Antonin Scalia, who would die before seeing the court become the disgrace of his dreams, went out on vacation furious that two court decisions granted basic rights to gay people and women.

He called the two decisions “path-breaking opinions” before presumably heading out to be feted and coddled all summer by the rich and powerful like a robe-swaddled baby. (The two decisions he’s talking about are a 6-3 opinion that struck down a Colorado state constitutional amendment that barred legal protections for gay people, and a 7-1 opinion that allowed women to attend Virginia Military Institute.)

Scalia, with his characteristic lack of irony, had a full-on crash out about these decisions. “While the present court sits, a major undemocratic restructuring of our national institutions and mores is constantly in progress. … Day by day, case by case, [the court] is busy designing a Constitution for a country I do not recognize.”

Damn, imagine that.

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

Some great deals here for your 4th of July cookout, including a nice price on Justice Scalia’s favorite type of corn.