American League Roundup : Burns Brushes Back Red Sox Sluggers, and White Sox Win, 8-1

Britt Burns is battling for his baseball life. In so doing, the big left-hander of the Chicago White Sox is upsetting some powerful swingers.

Burns held the heavy-hitting Boston Red Sox to six hits Friday and, with the help of four home runs, beat them, 8-1, before 40,087 fans at the White Sox home opener.

In his second win of the season and second over the Red Sox, Burns threw brush-back pitches to sluggers Mike Easler and Tony Armas. It happened in the fourth inning, and the pitch close to the head of Easler was the indirect cause of Easler and Manager John McNamara being ejected from the game. After Armas ducked a pitch, both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown.

Easler struck out after he was knocked down, threw his bat away and was tossed out. McNamara argued and was also excused by umpire Darryl Cousins. “I was mad at Burns and (catcher Carlton) Fisk, not the umps,” McNamara said. “(Tim) Lollar hit Easler in the face in spring training. The pitch today was at his head.”

The hard-throwing 6-5 Burns is a six-year veteran at 25. In his first three full seasons, he won 38 games and was considered one of the best young prospects in the league. He first encountered arm problems during a 10-11 season in 1983. Last season, he was out most of the second half with an arm injury and had a 4-12 record with an earned-run average of 5.00.

“I wasn’t trying to hit those guys,” Burns said, “but I know this is the year I have to produce or get out. I have worked hard and I have to have a lot of determination.”

Burns, in his first complete game since last May, struck out seven and walked only one. He lost his shutout when Bill Buckner hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning.

That was long after Burns had the runs he needed. Fisk, who has hammered his former teammates since he left five years ago, hit a two-run homer in the first. Other home runs were hit by Rudy Law, Harold Baines and Luis Salazar.

Salazar’s two-run homer came in the bottom of the fourth after he was knocked down by Mike Trujillo, a loser in his first major league start.

Kansas City 9, Detroit 2--For the first time in his career, George Brett spent the off-season getting himself in top shape. It is beginning to pay dividends.

Brett hit two home runs into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium and drove in three runs as the Royals handed the champions their second defeat of the season.

In winning six of their first seven games this season, the Tigers didn’t give up a home run. But the Royals, who had only three in eight games, hit five. Darryl Motley, Steve Balboni and Jim Sundberg each got one.

Young Bret Saberhagen, who had a 3-1 record against the Tigers last season, improved his record to 1-1. He went only 6 innings, the shortest stint for a Royal starter this season. Dan Quisenberry pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief of Saberhagen.

Dan Petry, winner of his first two starts, gave up six hits in two innings, including both of Brett’s long smashes.

Cleveland 2, New York 1--Julio Franco, the hottest hitter in baseball at the moment, hit a two-run home run in the first inning at New York, and Neal Heaton and Tom Waddell made the lead hold up.

Franco, batting .516, gave one back in the bottom of the inning with a throwing error, but Heaton, who went 7 innings to pick up his first win of the season, and Waddell stopped the Yankees the rest of the way.

Ron Guidry, who beat the Indians last Saturday to end the Yankees’ season-opening three-game losing streak, settled down after giving up three hits, including the homer, to open the game.

The Yankees had threats turned aside in the third, sixth and seventh, when they couldn’t come through with a two-out hit.

Toronto 6, Baltimore 5--Last season, when the Blue Jays would battle from behind, they didn’t have anyone out in the bullpen to save the game. It is different now.

Jesse Barfield hammered a three-run home run in the sixth inning at Toronto to put the Blue Jays in front by two runs, and four relievers refused to let the Orioles get even.

Texas 4, Milwaukee 1--Toby Harrah had three singles at Milwaukee and drove in the winning run. Harrah, who is off to a sizzling start with a .380 average, helped make it easy for Dave Rozema to get his first win as a Ranger.

Rozema gave up four hits in seven innings, and Dave Stewart yielded one hit in the last two innings for the save.

Oakland 4, Minnesota 2--Dwayne Murphy and Mike Heath hit home runs in the fourth inning at Oakland, and the A’s knocked the Twins into the cellar in the West.

Chris Codiroli and Jay Howell pitched a four-hitter as the A’s won their fifth in a row.

Frank Viola gave up six hits and pitched a complete game for the Twins, taking the loss on his 25th birthday.