Thomas Hits 3 Homers; Mariners Rout A’s, 14-6

Gorman Thomas, attempting a comeback from rotator-cuff surgery, hit three home runs for the first time in his career Thursday night to power the Seattle Mariners to a 14-6 victory over Oakland and complete a three-game sweep of the A’s at Seattle.

Four other Mariners--Al Cowens, Jim Presley, Phil Bradley and Dave Henderson--also homered as Seattle collected a club-record seven home runs, which tied the American League record for a night game, set by Baltimore against Boston in 1967.

Thomas, who played just 35 games last season before his operation June 8 to mend a torn rotator cuff, hit a solo shot leading off the third to give Seattle a 7-0 lead. He hit the fifth grand slam of his career in the fourth and added another leadoff homer in the sixth. He walked his other two times up, scored four runs and drove in six.

Seattle starter Mike Morgan struggled through the first five innings, giving up six runs, to gain the victory.

Dave Collins and Carney Lansford hit RBI singles in the fourth, and Dave Kingman and Donnie Hill homered in the fifth for the A’s.

Kingman lost an apparent second homer in the sixth when his drive glanced off a support wire in deep left and was caught by Bradley.

Detroit 11, Cleveland 10--Tom Brookens drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning at Detroit to give the Tigers their third straight victory over the Indians.

Julio Franco’s error allowed rookie Chris Pittaro to reach base in the 10th, and Lou Whitaker sacrificed the runner to second. After Alan Trammell was walked intentionally by reliever Dave Von Ohlen, Kirk Gibson flied to center to move Pittaro to third. Von Ohlen walked Lance Parrish intentionally to load the bases, then walked Brookens on a 3-and-1 pitch.

Willie Hernandez, last year’s Cy Young Award winner, pitched 3 innings to earn his first victory.

The Indians built a 10-8 lead on run-scoring singles by Franco and Joe Carter in the eighth.

The Tigers pulled even on Gibson’s sacrifice fly in the eighth and Larry Herndon’s run-scoring single in the ninth.

Trammell and Gibson hit homers for the Tigers.

Boston 6, New York 4--Dwight Evans drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly and his second home run of the season at Boston, and the Red Sox completed their first sweep of the Yankees since 1982.

The Red Sox are 3-0 for the first time since 1973, while the Yankees fell to 0-3 for the first time in 10 years despite a homer and three singles by Dave Winfield.

The Yankees scored twice against Roger Clemens in the second inning on Ken Griffey’s run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk to Bobby Meacham.

Boston went ahead, 3-2, in the third when Rich Gedman beat out an infield hit and scored as Winfield misjudged Jackie Gutierrez’s line drive that went for a triple. One out later, Evans homered.

New York pulled even in the fourth on Meacham’s run-scoring single, but not for long.

Mike Easler doubled and scored Boston’s tie-breaking run on Bill Buckner’s single in the fourth. Singles by Gutierrez and Wade Boggs set up Evans’ sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Tony Armas tripled and scored on a wild pitch by Yankee starter Dennis Rasmussen.

Toronto 4, Kansas City 3--George Bell hit the first pitch of the 10th inning for a home run off Royal relief ace Dan Quisenberry to give the Blue Jays their second victory in three games at Kansas City.

Bill Caudill was the winner in relief for the second straight night with 1 hitless innings. Jim Acker pitched the 10th for a save.

The Royals rallied to tie it, 3-3, in the eighth against reliever Gary Lavelle when Hal McRae singled and Steve Balboni doubled home pinch-runner Buddy Biancalana.

Milwaukee 8, Chicago 1--Ray Burris pitched a five-hitter, and Paul Molitor had three singles as the Brewers routed the White Sox at Milwaukee.

Burris struck out three and walked two as he went the distance in his Milwaukee debut.

The Brewers took a 3-0 lead in the first off Tim Lollar. Molitor and Yount opened with singles, and Mark Brouhard doubled both runners home. Paul Householder doubled home Brouhard.