Inside Pitch (statistics Through May 13)

BALL PARK FIGURES
Chicago's 7-6 victory over Milwaukee last week was the longest game in innings (25) in American League history and the longest in duration (8:06) in major league history. It was so long that nine players who had at least eight at bats gained or lost 10 points or more, in some cases much more, in their batting averages. Those players, their longest-game stats and their averages before and after the game:
Paciorek, Chi, LF	5-9	.243	.278	+35
Fisk, Chi, C	3-11	.194	.205	+11
Gantner, Mil, 2B	2-10	.306	.296	—10
Oglivie, Mil, LF	2-10	.312	.300	—12
V. Law, Chi, 3B	1-10	.228	.213	—15
Ready, Mil, 3B	1-8	.266	.250	—16
Cooper, Mil, DH	2-11	.320	.302	—18
Cruz, Chi, 2B	1-11	.242	.221	—21
Stegman, Chi, LF	1-8	.321	.278	—43

The Orioles, who started so slowly, have won 13 of 16 and gained one measly game and a half on the Tigers, who led them by 9� at week's end. But the world champs are convinced they'll prevail.

"I admit it's difficult seeing them win every day and wondering what the rest of the league is doing out there," says DH Ken Singleton, "but before it's over we'll be there in those funny black and orange uniforms."

"It's hard to persevere when you know the other ball club is doing exceptionally," says leftfielder John Lowenstein. "Lesser teams would've succumbed. The other night somebody asked me, 'Do you think the Tigers have peaked?' Can you believe it? I told him, 'I certainly hope so.' "

Unsurprisingly, the key to the Orioles' surge has been Eddie Murray. He's batting .519 with runners in scoring position, and in 23 games between April 19 and Sunday hit .395 with 26 RBIs, 13 of which were either tying or go-ahead runs.

Another plus has been Floyd Rayford, an infielder who recently has been an emergency catcher. Rayford, who was called up from the minors on April 19, caught nine games recently because Joe Nolan was on the disabled list after knee surgery and Rick Dempsey was resting a sore shoulder. The O's won seven of those nine games, and Rayford, a .199 lifetime hitter, contributed 10 RBIs on only seven hits.

Steve Carlton is a mere mortal, after all. Lefty, who is 39, was 60-24 from 1980 to '82, years of martial arts workouts having turned his body into a machine that seemed to defy aging. But he is 1-2 this season, hasn't won a game since Opening Day and is 10-16 since May 15, 1983.

"Instead of looking at Lefty as Superman anymore," says Phillies pitching coach Claude Osteen, "we should consider him just a helluva pitcher. He isn't the kind of guy who, when he pitches, you can say you're guaranteed a win. The overpowering stuff isn't going to be as regular as we've seen in the past. But he can take you into the seventh or eighth inning on pure knowledge."

Here's another indication that Lefty doesn't wear an S on his undershirt anymore: His right eye was blackened when teammate Kevin Gross accidentally kicked him during a pre-game martial arts workout last week.

Red Sox shortstops Glenn Hoffman and Jackie Gutierrez have committed five and seven errors, respectively; project that over 162 games and they'll combine for 59 errors.... The Blue Jays hoped free-agent Dennis Lamp would be their bullpen stopper, but he's had only five saves in 10 opportunities.... Dan Quisenberry has nine saves and a win for the Royals, who've won just 12 games.... Joe Morgan is doing it again. Morgan, 40, is hitting .264 for Oakland with 25 walks for a .425 on-base percentage, tied for fifth in the American League.... Rangers' backup catcher, Marv Foley, started the season with six home runs in 304 major league at bats. In his first 32 at bats for '84, he had five homers.... Twins catcher Tim Laudner has caught 14 of 23 runners trying to steal after throwing out only 13 in 67 attempts last year. "I'm working like a dog on my throwing," he says. He's gotten help from coach Rick Stelmaszek, who devised spring-training drills that concentrated on improving Laudner's lateral movement. Last year Laudner was winding up, and also throwing off the wrong foot.

The Reds are hot and so is Dave Parker—and, yes, there's a connection. The Reds have won 13 of their last 15 games, and Parker, the free agent the Pirates let go, had a 12-game hitting streak that produced 24 hits in 50 at bats (.480) and 14 RBIs. Parker, however, didn't get his first homer of the season until last Wednesday in Montreal, soon after the rest of the Reds started a pool on when he would hit that first one. "The pool's still on," Tony Perez declared. "He hasn't hit one in the United States yet."