AL Roundup - Wed, Nov. 7

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[i:113dbc539a]by Bill Janssen[/i:113dbc539a]

On Wednesday night, all 14 American League teams were in action, as each of the season-opening series entered its second game.

The New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox all won by scoring 14 or more runs, the Toronto Blue Jays won their second straight game with ninth inning runs, and the California Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners 5-4 in 11 innings.

New York Yankees 14, Kansas City 2
Detroit Tigers 15, Boston Red Sox 1
Cleveland Indians 4, Baltimore Orioles 0
Chicago White Sox 14, Milwaukee Brewers 10
Toronto Blue Jays 4, Texas Rangers 2
Minnesota Twins 4, Oakland Athletics 2
California Angels 5, Seattle Mariners 4 (11 innings)

Highlights from around the American League...

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=18][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]New York Yankees 14, Kansas City 2[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

Ron Guidry (1-0) pitched 7.2 strong innings and got plenty of runs support from the Yankees offense (14 runs on 13 hits, 3 HR’s, 5 walks) as the Yankees won their second game of the season. The Yankees scored in four of the first six innings, knocking out Kansas City’s Mark Gubicza before the third inning was over.

Yankees designated hitter Mike Easler provided impressive production out of the seventh spot in the lineup, driving in 6 runs with two home runs (he also scored 4 times). With that kind of production coming from the bottom part of the lineup, Yankees manager Bill Daughtry couldn’t help but speak of the possible implications in a Steinbrenner like comment to the media- “I’ll tell you what, if Mike and Mike (Easler and Pagliarulo) continue to hit this well, I think the Yankees will be the team to beat in the American League this year.”

Game Notes: For the second straight game, both team’s leadoff hitters (Rickey Henderson, Lonnie Smith) went 0-4 and haven’t reached base at all so far; The Yankees 1 thru 4 hitters went 3-17, while 5 thru 9 hitters went ;12-20 with 12 RBI’s and 10 runs scored; Willie Randolph’s HR to lead off the sixth inning was the unofficial knockout punch for Kansas City, as it put them down 10-0 and forced their manager Brooks Melchior to remove reliever Mark Huismann.

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=20][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]Detroit Tigers 15, Boston Red Sox 1[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

At Fenway Field, the Detroit Tigers hitters pounded the Red Sox, and Boston starter Oil Can Boyd lived up to his nickname, as the Tigers defeated the Red Sox by an overwhelming score of 15-1.

The starting pitchers cruised through the first three innings, as the teams remained locked in a scoreless battle. Before the next three innings were over, however, Detroit slammed 4 HR’s, Boston was two pitchers into their bullpen, and Red Sox fans had a 12-0 deficit staring at them from the outfield scoreboard at the bottom of the Green Monster.

Some media members criticized Detroit manager Sean Forman’s handling of starting pitcher Eric King, believing that King’s outing was much too long for the first start of a season. Despite a 14 run lead and a fresh bullpen, Forman kept King in the game for 137 pitches (into the 8th inning) before lifting him for a reliever. While King defended his manager’s decision, the long-term impacts of such a long initial outing are yet to be seen.

Game Notes: Wade Boggs had all of Boston’s hits (three, 2 Doubles); Detroit’s Darnell Coles had 3 hits, and Chet Lemon had 4 RBI’s; Boston CF Tony Armas showed his 4e13 rating, committing two errors, with one coming as a Triple + Error that allowed the batter to score.

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=19][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]Cleveland Indians 4, Baltimore Orioles 0[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

In Baltimore, three Cleveland pitchers combined efforts to shutout the Orioles, resulting in a 4-0 Indians win and an evening of the three game series. Greg Swindell kept the Orioles hitters quiet through the first 6.2 innings, and then handed the game over to relievers Doug Jones and Ernie Camacho to finish off the shutout.

Cleveland scored all four runs against Mike Boddicker. The Indians jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Chris Bando’s one out single, added to the lead with Mel Hall’s two out single in the sixth inning, and then used three ninth inning hits to add two insurance runs that in the final analysis were not needed as the Indians bullpen effectively closed out the game.

Game Notes: Indians CF Brett Butler was injured in his first at bat, and is expected to miss the next three games; Orioles starter Mike Boddicker threw two wild pitches; After reaching base on an error in the 3rd inning, Lee Lacy tested catcher Chris Bando’s arm, but was thrown out easily trying to steal second.

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=21][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]Chicago White Sox 14, Milwaukee Brewers 10[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

Carlton Fisk cracked 2 home runs, and Greg Walker had 4 RBI’s to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 14-10 win in a slugfest with the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Joel McKeon (1-0) picked up the win, and the loss was charged to Milwaukee starter Pete Vuckovich who yielded 9 runs in 3.2 innings.

The teams combined for 27 hits (10 for extra bases) and 14 walks, and while there was plenty of offense on the Brewers side of things to give them a chance, perhaps it was a defensive play that made the difference in the game. First and foremost, Milwaukee third baseman Paul Molitor (3e27) misplayed Carlton Fisk’s easy 5th inning grounder, allowing a run to score on the play and another three to score on the next play (Daryl Boston’s bases clearing triple). That turned a 9-7 game into a 13-7 deficit, which put the game out of reach, even after the Brewers rallied for 3 runs in the ninth inning.

Game Notes: The game lasted 3 hours and 22 minutes; In addition to the 24 runs, the teams combined to leave another 17 runners on base in the game; Paul Molitor and Julio Cruz each had 3 walks in the game

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=22][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]Toronto Blue Jays 4, Texas Rangers 2[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

Toronto won with ninth inning runs for the second consecutive game, pushing past the Texas Rangers by a final score of 4-2. Toronto starter Jimmy Key left the game in the 7th inning with a 2-1 lead, but after middle reliever Mark Eichhorn held the lead, closer Tom Henke surrendered the tying run on Darrel Porter’s pinch hit home run to set up a dramatic final inning finish.

With the game tied 2-2 entering the ninth, Toronto loaded the bases with three walks (Whitt, Iorg, Fernandez), setting up Lloyd Moseby’s clutch 2-run single with 2-outs off of Texas reliever Mitch Williams. The loss was charged to starter Ed Correa, who put the first two runners on base in the ninth before leaving the game with one out. It was a tough loss for Rangers manager Adam J. Morris to accept, as he expressed frustration with his team’s second straight late inning collapse, noting “We had our chances... our offense gave our pitchers a chance to win both games... but we couldn’t hold the lead in either game. If we can’t pull these games out at home, we’re in big trouble.”

Game Notes: Texas 2B Toby Harrah was injured while lining out in the eight inning, and will miss the next 5 games; Texas starter Ed Correa threw 147 pitches; Henke (1-0) was charged with a blown save, but was then credited with the win; The Blue Jays left 9 runners on base; Half of the hits in the game (7 of 14) went for extra bases with 4 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs; Considering their 1986 Strat-o-matic cards, it comes as no surprise that Correa and Williams could issue three bases on balls in such a situation, as most of the offense on their cards comes in the form of a walk.

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=23][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]Minnesota Twins 4, Oakland Athletics 2[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

Minnesota used three homeruns and a solid outing from Frank Voila to win their second straight road game against the Oakland A’s.

The Twins scored all four of their runs from home runs in the fourth and fifth innings (Roy Smalley, Tim Laudner, Greg Gagne), turning around an early 2-0 deficit into a victory for Frank Viola (1-0).

The A’s scored two runs in the first inning on a groundout and rookie Jose Canseco’s RBI single, but for the second game in a row, Oakland’s starting pitching could not hold up, and this time out lefty Curt Young absorbed the loss after surrendering 11 hits including the three HR’s.

Game Notes: Minnesota reliever Pete Filson picked up his first save of the season and fifth of his career; Five Twins hitters and four A’s hitters had multiple hits in the game; Oakland’s designated hitter Dave Kingman and catcher Mickey Tettleton are both 0-8 on the season;

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=24][size=16:113dbc539a][b:113dbc539a][u:113dbc539a]California Angels 5, Seattle Mariners 4[/u:113dbc539a][/b:113dbc539a][/size:113dbc539a][/url]

In the American League’s first extra inning game, the California Angels outlasted the Seattle mariners by a score of 5 to 4. Designated hitter Jack Howell delivered the eventual game winning run with his one out home run in the top of the 11th inning. After shutting down the Mariners in the bottom of the inning, reliever Gary Lucas (1-0) picked up the win (1-0) for California. Edwin Nunez (0-1) was charged with the loss.

The game was tied 3-3 entering the ninth inning. In the top half of the ninth, Bobby Grich’s RBI double scored Devon White to put California ahead temporarily. In the bottom half of the inning, however, Mariner SS Spike Owen tied the game on a successful squeeze play with one out. Owen had chance to tie the game again in the 11th inning, with a runner on second base with two outs, but he grounded out to shortstop Dick Schofield to end the game.

Game Notes: Bobby Grich (Cal) had 3 doubles in the game; Mike Moore (Sea) threw 139 pitches by the time he was removed from the game (with 2 outs in the ninth); Despite his +1 catcher arm, Bob Kearney (Sea) did not allow a steal, throwing out 3 different Angles trying to steal (Pettis, White, Schofield); Veteran catcher Bob Boone (Cal) had an uncharacteristic two passed balls in the game.

[b:113dbc539a]A brief look at Thursday Night’s American League Games:[/b:113dbc539a]

On Thursday, all 14 American League teams will be active, as the third and final game of the all the season-opening series will be played.

Only one of the seven American League series is currently tied (Baltimore vs. Cleveland), and in that series Thursday night’s game will be an important tiebreaker- providing the winner with the mental benefit of knowing 1986 is off to a positive start.

The other six series involving American League teams have had one of the teams win the first two games. For the 2-0 teams (New York, Detroit, Toronto, California, Minnesota, Chicago) Thursday’s game will offers the opportunity to achieve an impressive opening series sweep. For the 0-2 teams (Boston, Milwaukee, Oakland, Kansas City, Seattle, Texas) Thursday’s game is more challenging, as they enter the game trying to avoid falling further into last-place... and hoping to avoid the criticism (from fans and media) that typically comes along with achieving that position so early in the season.

Check back tomorrow morning for results of the games.