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Say what?

Belle bops three homers, talks about it afterward

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Posted: Monday July 26, 1999 07:44 AM

When the Belle tones three: Albert Belle is congratulated by manager Ray Miller after hitting the second of three home runs. AP

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Albert Belle had a game worth talking about. And he did just that.

Belle capped his finest game in a Baltimore Orioles uniform in surprise fashion, speaking to the local media Sunday for the first time since spring training.

Belle hit three homers and had six RBIs, and Cal Ripken Jr. hit his 399th career homer and singled in the winning run in the 11th inning as the Orioles beat Anaheim 8-7, extending the Angels' losing streak to 10 games.

Belle, hit by a pitch in the 11th, wanted to stay at the plate to take a few more swings. But he was finally convinced to take the base, and Ripken delivered with two outs to give the Orioles their sixth straight victory.

After the game, the Baltimore clubhouse was alive with chatter. And surprisingly enough, Belle had a few things to say, too.

"I'm not going to be accessible, but when the situation calls for it, I'll talk. This is one of those times," he said during a 10-minute session in which he snuffed reports that he waived his three-year no-trade clause.

"The trade rumors are false. I'm not going anywhere," he said.

Belle has been the target of jeers at Camden Yards this season, in part because he has struggled at times and because the Orioles are playing well below expectations.

But Sunday the crowd embraced the brooding star, chanting "Albert! Albert!" in the 11th when he caused a stir by remaining at the plate.

"That's the way baseball goes," Belle said. "I was shocked [at the boos]. I'm disappointed. But it's a long season."

Belle's third homer of the game and 24th of the season, an opposite-field drive to right with two outs in the ninth, made it 7-7. The shot came on the first pitch from Troy Percival, who was trying for the Angels' first save since July 9.

Belle also hit a two-run homer in the first and pulled the Orioles to 7-6 in the seventh with a three-run shot off Mark Petkovsek. It was the third three-homer game of Belle's career and the six RBIs tied a career high, reached four times previously.

After B.J. Surhoff drew a one-out walk from Mike Holtz (1-2) in the 11th, Shigetoshi Hasegawa hit Belle with a high inside pitch. Belle insisted upon taking his cuts, but finally relented.

"I told the umpire I wasn't going to first, that I'd take a 1-0 count," Belle said. "I told [Angels catcher Matt Walbeck] to tell the pitcher to throw the ball over the plate."

After Jeff Conine hit a fly ball, Will Clark walked to load the bases. Ripken barely fouled off a 2-2 pitch, and the count went to 3-2 before he delivered a smash between third and short.

Earlier in the game, Ripken was hit in the helmet by a pitch from Percival.

"He throws hard and that was a nasty breaking ball," Ripken said. "It gave me a little headache. In fact, I still have a slight headache."

Scott Kamieniecki (1-3) pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings to cap a fine performance by the Baltimore bullpen, which held Anaheim hitless after the fifth inning.

Randy Velarde homered and scored three runs for the Angels, whose 10-game skid is their longest since July 17-26, 1993. Mo Vaughn and Tim Salmon both drove in two runs for Anaheim.

"Those guys were hot all series, Cal and Albert," Vaughn said. "Our closer's been perfect almost all season, it just goes along with everything that's gone on this whole season of difficult times. It's tough. You have to be good and you need a little luck too, but luck is not on our side now."

Anaheim chased Sidney Ponson and took a 7-3 lead with a three-run fifth. With the bases loaded, Vaughn hit a two-run single on Doug Johns' first pitch and Salmon followed with a sacrifice fly.

The lead held until Belle struck in the ninth.

"There have been some pretty harsh things written about him, but Albert is a great run-producer," Orioles manager Ray Miller said. "That was a pretty good statement -- two outs in the ninth and you hit your third home run."

After the Angels went up 3-0 in the first, Belle homered in the Orioles' half and Ripken led off the second with a shot over the wall in left-center.

 

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