1971 06-22 Orioles at Senators

The Thomas Paine Podcast presents a detailed radio broadcast of Game 2 of a doubleheader between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators on June 22, 1971, at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. The game is a tense, scoreless battle through seven innings, featuring a standout performance by Orioles rookie starter Grant Jackson, who makes his first major league start and records seven strikeouts while holding the Senators to just three hits. Despite a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth inning, Jackson escapes unscathed. The Orioles finally break through in the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run by Merv Rettenman, followed by a leadoff single and a double by Paul Blair. The game remains 1-0 until the top of the seventh, when the Orioles add another run on a fielder’s choice and a hustling base hit by Rettenman. The Senators make a late push in the bottom of the ninth with a pinch hitter and a walk, but the Orioles’ bullpen, led by Tommy Duke, shuts them down. The final score is Orioles 2, Senators 0, with Jackson earning the win and the Orioles splitting the doubleheader. The broadcast captures the tension, strategy, and historical context of the game, including player injuries, pitching changes, and the emotional toll on players and managers.