Indians Top Orioles as Lee Stange Shines

July 2, 1965 - Cleveland pitcher Lee Stange insists he doesn’t know the reason for his mastery over Baltimore, and the Orioles obviously don’t either. But whatever it is, The Stinger sure owns ‘em. He did it again tonight in hurling a four-hitter for an 8-0 Indians triumph.

Lee received all the help he needed from Rocky Colavito, who padded his American League home run lead by pumping No. 19 over the left-field fence with two aboard in the third.

Rocky also climbed to within one of the RBI leadership by driving in the Tribe’s first run with a double in the first and another with a single in the fourth to give him five for the night and 57 for the season. The league leader is Felix Mantilla of Boston.

Dick Howser also drilled a homer, his first, with the bases empty in the eighth, and Pedro Gonzalez almost had an inside-the-park job in the second. Speedy settled for a triple, however, as the Indians racked up 12 hits off three Baltimore pitchers.

The victory, first-place Cleveland’s 18th in the last 21 games, was Stange’s third of the season but his eighth over Baltimore since 1963, when he beat the Orioles three times without a loss for Minnesota.

“I really don’t know what it is,” the right-hander said after tonight’s contest. “I don’t try any harder against them than I do against everybody else. And I don’t have any reason for wanting to beat them more than anybody else. It just seems that everything comes out just right.

“Maybe it’s because they think I have a jinx on them that gives me some kind of an edge. But whatever it is, don’t knock it. I sort of like it, and I hope it continues.”

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