What's Happened Since Orioles Last 3-Game Sweep of Red Sox at Fenway Park?

Today's 9-6 victory by the Orioles over the Red Sox did more than ruin the mound debut of Red Sox DH-turned-losing pitcher Darnell McDonald. It completed the first three-game sweep by Baltimore at Fenway Park since the first term of the Bill Clinton administration.

What's happened to both teams since June 10-12, 1994, the last time the Orioles swept up the Sox in Boston? Let's take a look.

MLB Players Went on Strike

Exactly two months after the Orioles took three in a row from the Sox at Fenway in June of '94, MLB players voted to go on strike rather than accept a salary cap proposed by owners.

The work stoppage, which lasted from Aug. 14, 1994 to April 2, 1995, forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time since 1904. Baltimore was in second place behind the Yankees in the AL East when the strike hit; Boston was in fourth, struggling along with a 54-61 record.

Cal Ripken Extended His Games-Played Streak for 4 More Years

During the players strike of '94, there was talk team owners might restock their lineups with "replacement" players whose statistics would count in the record books — thus denying Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken from passing Lou Gehrig's once-unreachable mark of 2,130 consecutive games played.

In the end, there were no replacement players. The strike lasted until April 2, 1995, after which Ripken went back to chasing Gehrig. He would eventually pass Lou and set a new standard by appearing in 2,632 straight games.

Mo Vaughn Was the 1995 AL MVP with Boston

Before Big Papi and Manny came on the scene, the most feared slugger in the Red Sox lineup was Mo Vaughn. The big first baseman blasted 230 homers for Boston from 1991-98, including 35 or more in his last four years calling Fenway home.

During the 1995 season, Vaughn hit 39 long balls, batted .300, and led the American League with 126 RBI — numbers that earned him the AL MVP award. Mo crushed six homers against the Orioles in '95, tying his high against any club that year.

Baltimore Made the Playoffs and Finished .500 for the Last Time until....

The Orioles were one of the MLB's premier franchises for more than 30 years, but they fell upon tough times as the new century loomed.

After reaching the ALCS in both 1996 and '97 — winning 98 games in the latter campaign — Baltimore dropped from AL East contention with a thud. Beginning in 1998, the Orioles finished under .500 for 14 straight years, a stretch that extended through the 2011 season.

Pedro Power Ignited Boston

During the period between 1994-2012, there was no more dominating —or electrifying — pitcher in baseball than Pedro Martinez in his years with the Red Sox. 

Pedro went 117-37 from 1998-2004, with a 2.52 cumulative ERA that was more than two runs under the league average over that stretch. In 1999, he won the AL's Triple Crown with a 23-4 record, 313 strikeouts and a 2.07 ERA as he led the Red Sox to the ALCS. 

All things considered, the Orioles didn't do too shabby against Martinez; he was 9-5 with a mediocre 4.00 ERA in 18 career games vs. the Birds.

Cal Ripken Closed Out His Brilliant Career against the Red Sox

After Cal Ripken announced that 2001 would be his final season, he was honored with ovations throughout the American League on his last time through each city — including three games at Boston in late September.

Ripken closed out his farewell campaign at home in Baltimore with four games against the Red Sox. Boston swept the series, but Birds fans didn't mind as they got to tell No. 8 how much they loved and respected him.

The Red Sox and Yankees Re-Ignited Baseball's Best Rivalry

While the Orioles were crashing to earth, the Red Sox and Yankees were red-hot rivals once again beginning in 1999.

From '99 to 2005, New York and Boston finished first and second in the AL East each season; unfortunately for the Red Sox, it was in that order each time.

Boston, however, would get its own chance at glory soon enough.

Miguel Tejada Shined at Short, Then Admitted He Juiced

Although nobody could ever replace Cal Ripken as Baltimore's iconic shortstop, Miguel Tejada certainly made his own mark while manning the position for the Orioles from 2004-07.

Tejada averaged a .305 BA with more than 115 RBI and 40 doubles a season over the stretch, including a league-leading 150 ribbies in 2004 and 50 doubles in 2005.

Once he plead guilty in 2009 to lying to Congress about taking steroids, however, much of the shine was off Tejada's career.

The Red Sox Broke Through with World Series Titles in 2004, 2007

The Red Sox finally got past the Yankees and everybody else in 2004, winning the World Series for the first time since 1918 and touching off Boston's biggest baseball party ever.

Fans didn't have to wait 86 years for the next bash, either, as the Red Sox won it all again in 2007 — the only team besides the Yankees to win the Fall Classic twice during the decade.

The Orioles Appear to Be Turning the Corner in 2012

After putting their fans through five straight last-place finishes in the AL East from 2007 to 2011, the Orioles have had a terrific start this year — battling for first in the early going with an 18-9 record after their sweep of the Red Sox.

Since last September, when they knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs by beating them in the final two games of the regular season, the Orioles have had Boston's number. Will this be the year they break their long stretch of losing seasons and perhaps even make the playoffs for the first time since 1997 — or will Boston recover from its doldrums and enact some revenge for 2011?

Stay tuned.

Saul Wisnia lives less than seven miles from Fenway Park and works 300 yards from Yawkey Way. His latest book, Fenway Park: The Centennial, is available at amazon.com, and his Red Sox reflections can be found at http://saulwisnia.blogspot.com/. You can reach him at [e-mail] or @saulwizz.