AL Roundup - Tue, Nov. 6

[bernieh]

[i:93e6bc5d32]by Bill Janssen[/i:93e6bc5d32]

On Tuesday night, the remaining eight American League teams opened up their 1986 (Take Two) season, and stadium lights were on from the east coast (New York)... to the west coast (Seattle, Oakland)... and somewhere in between (Texas).

Contrary to the first night of the season when home teams won all three games, Tuesday night saw the visiting ball clubs take 3 of the 4 games, as only the Yankees successfully utilized home field to their advantage.

The Yankees scored early and held on to defeat Bret Saberhagen and the reigning world series champion Kansas City Royals. Toronto rallied for three ninth inning unearned runs to overtake the Texas Rangers 6-4, and the two west coast games saw plenty of offense from the visiting teams, as California defeated Seattle 8 to 2 and the Minnesota Twins pounded the Oakland A’s by a score of 9 to 4.

Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s four American League games:

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=11][size=16:93e6bc5d32][b:93e6bc5d32][u:93e6bc5d32]New York Yankees 3, Kansas City Royals 2[/u:93e6bc5d32][/b:93e6bc5d32][/size:93e6bc5d32][/url]

Over 24,000 fans were on hand for a cold and blustery opening day at Yankee stadium, as the New York Yankees defeated last year’s World Series champion Kansas City Royals by a score of 3-2.

The Yankees scored three early runs against last year’s Cy Young Award Winner Bret Saberhagen, and Dennis Rasmussen and Bob Shirley combined on a 6 hitter (all singles), allowing the early Yankee runs to stand up.

Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen battled against the Yankees, but ironically it was last year’s Gold Glove third baseman George Brett’s defense that kept his effort in the loss column. Brett mishandled all four of his 3b(x) chances, allowing four singles, two errors and an unearned run in the process. Saberhagen felt he pitched well, but didn’t blame Brett’s defense, noting “I gave up 9 hits, and let several other hitters put the ball in play, so it’s squarely on me. The defense turned three double plays to keep the game close as it was.”

The pitcher’s duel was set up in part because both leadoff hitters (New York’s Rickey Henderson and Kansas City’s Lonnie Smith) did not get on base in any plate appearance. Neither team’s pitchers allowed an extra base hit, which kept most of the runners who did get on base away from scoring position.

Game Notes: Bob Shirley picked up his first save. Yankees SS Bobby Meacham had two errors, but they did not lead to Kansas City runs; Yankees led the A.L. in runs scored last season; Kansas City pitchers allowed the fewest walks (fewer than 3 per game) and surrendered the fewest HR’s (103) of any A.L. team last season; the game featured last year’s Cy Young Award winner (Bret Saberhagen), last year’s MVP (Don Mattingly), as well as three of last year’s A.L. Gold Glove Award winners (Don Mattingly, George Brett, Ron Guidry).

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=12][size=16:93e6bc5d32][b:93e6bc5d32][u:93e6bc5d32]Toronto Blue Jays 6, Texas Rangers 4[/u:93e6bc5d32][/b:93e6bc5d32][/size:93e6bc5d32][/url]

At Arlington Stadium, the visiting Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers in dramatic fashion, scoring three ninth inning runs for a 6-4 come from behind victory. All three of the ninth inning Toronto runs were unearned, due to critically timed errors by Texas second baseman Toby Harrah and pitcher Greg A. Harris.

The game was a match involving last year’s... best A.L. East team (Toronto, 99 wins) and worst A.L. West team (Texas, 99 losses), and it seemed as if much of the night that Toronto was more so playing down to Texas’s level of play rather than Texas raising their game up to Toronto's- as the pitchers combined to allow 23 hits, and the defenses committed 4 errors which led to 5 unearned runs.

Blue Jays fans must have been a little nervous watching Toronto’s manager “The Ladies...” stick with their starting pitcher Doyle Alexander as he surrendered hit after hit in the early going (he allowed 12 hits in 7 innings). But the managers' patience paid off, as Toronto then needed to use just one reliever, Mark Eichhorn, who ultimately shut down Texas to earn the win.

Game Notes: Rangers shortstop Scott Fletcher was injured in the 9th inning and will miss the next 8 games- SS duties will likely fall to light hitting utility man Curtis Wilkerson. Toronto once again showed why it had the A.L.’s best road record (45-36) in 1985 (Texas had the A.L.’s worst at 25-56); Toronto becomes the first major league team to be managed by a group of women- “The Ladies…” lead the 1986 Blue Jays in their quest to defend the 1985 AL East title; Texas Rangers manager Adam J. Morris is trying to lead his new team to improve from their 1985 campaign, where they finished last in the AL West (99 losses); Toronto’s pitching staff allowed the fewest hits in 1985 (just over 8 hits per game); Texas scored the fewest runs (3.8 per game) in the American League in 1985, 70 fewer than any other ball club;

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=14][size=16:93e6bc5d32][b:93e6bc5d32][u:93e6bc5d32]California Angels 8, Seattle Mariners 2[/u:93e6bc5d32][/b:93e6bc5d32][/size:93e6bc5d32][/url]

Wally Joyner had 2 home runs and 5 RBI’s, Mike Witt had 10K’s and tossed a complete game, and designated hitter George Hendrick contributed with a home run and 3 RBI’s, all of which propelled the California Angels to an easy 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

A rainy opening day in Seattle didn’t impact the game, as Seattle’s Kingdome kept the weather at bay, but the California Angels hitters still managed to storm Seattle pitching for 11 hits and 3 home runs, as the top of California’s potent lineup did most of the damage- the first five Angels hitters went 9-20, with all 8 RBI’s and all 8 runs.

Seattle pitcher Mark Langston absorbed the loss, his first of the season, but reliever Steve Fireovid at least provided some optimism for Seattle Manager Jeff Sullivan, pitching 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Game Notes: California’s defense led all 1985 AL teams with 202 double plays turned; Seattle had the lowest 1985 payroll (an estimated $4.6M) of any American League team; California finished just 1 game behind Kansas City last year, (the eventual 1985 world series champions); In a contrast of hitting patience, California’s offense led the A.L in walks in 1985 (averaged 4 per game), meanwhile Seattle’s offense had more strikeouts than any other A.L. team (almost 6 per game) and had four different players with 100+ strike outs (Phil Bradley, Gorman Thomas, Dave Henderson, Jim Presley); California had the highest estimated payroll among A.L. ball clubs in 1985, and fortunately also had the highest paid attendance (2.567M fans);

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=13][size=16:93e6bc5d32][b:93e6bc5d32][u:93e6bc5d32]Minnesota Twins 9, Oakland Athletics 4[/u:93e6bc5d32][/b:93e6bc5d32][/size:93e6bc5d32][/url]

Joaquin Andujar, Oakland’s big off-season acquisition, lasted less than two innings, as Bert Blyleven and the Minnesota Twins coasted to a 9-4 victory in front of 19,193 fans at the Oakland Coliseum.

Twins starter Bert Blyleven allowed 9 hits in a complete game victory, getting the outs when he needed them (including four double plays) to hold the A’s offense to four runs, despite allowing three home runs (all solo shots).

The A’s settled down after Andujar was removed by Oakland manager Bill Janssen, as reliever Doug Bair allowed just one run through the next 4.1 innings, but the A’s offense never got it going against the stingy Blyleven.

The Twins offense was led by their big hitters, as Kent Hrbek and Gary Gaetti combined for 5 RBI’s and 5 runs, with two home runs and four total hits.

Game Notes: The game was Andujar’s first in the A.L. after 256 games over 10 National League seasons (1976-85) with Houston and St. Louis; Oakland fielded two 1985 Gold Glove award winners (Dwayne Murphy, Alfredo Griffin); The game continued last year’s trends, with Blyleven’s complete game (Twins starting pitchers led all A.L. teams with 41 complete games last season) and Andujar’s early exit (Oakland had the fewest complete games (10) of any American league team in 1985).

[b:93e6bc5d32]Wednesday Night American League Games:[/b:93e6bc5d32]

After two nights with a partial schedule, all 14 American League teams will be in action on Wednesday, as game two of each series will be underway- Boston at Detroit, Kansas City at New York, Cleveland at Baltimore, Milwaukee at Chicago, Toronto at Texas, Minnesota at Oakland, and California at Seattle.