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American League Roundup : A’s Stay Tied for First as Davis Homers and Krueger Pitches Full Game

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Mike Davis hit a two-run home run and Bill Krueger pitched a complete game, the first by an Oakland pitcher this season, as the A’s beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-2, at Oakland for their sixth straight win.

It was the ninth loss in a row for the Twins.

Krueger pitched a five-hitter for his second win to keep the A’s tied with Seattle for first place in the American League West. Davis has played a major role in the early-season surge.

The A’s, who have not been much of a pennant threat since Billy Martin wrecked the pitching staff in the early 1980s, have been patiently waiting for Davis, a 6-3, 190-pounder from San Diego, to reach his potential.

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Although he is only 25, the A’s have had him in the organization since 1977. They brought him up in 1980 and tried him at first base. The last two seasons, he has played mostly right field. He hit .275 in 1983, but only .230 last season. In 825 at-bats in those two seasons, he hit only 17 home runs.

His two-run smash off Mike Smithson in the second inning was the fifth he’s hit already this season. Davis singled later in the game to raise his average to .385. He leads the league in runs batted in with 16.

“It’s nice for me to get off to a hot start,” Davis said, “but the key to our success will be the pitching. Bill was sharp and we have some others who can pitch, too. If the pitchers hold down the opposition, we’ll get them the runs.”

One complete game in 11 is a switch. Under Martin, the A’s pitchers were expected to go the distance. Some of them, such as Rick Langford, Mike Norris, Matt Keough and Steve McCatty injured their arms, probably from trying to pitch too many complete games.

Under Jackie Moore, the A’s don’t expect complete games. But Krueger gave then one Saturday, allowing only four hits before Gary Gaetti homered in the ninth.

Detroit 4, Kansas City 3--Ordinarily, a two-run lead in the eighth inning with Dan Quisenberry coming to the rescue is a sure way to win a game. But the world champion Tigers are not an ordinary team.

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In this game at Detroit, they battered the Kansas City relief specialist for seven hits and three runs in 1 innings and won the game.

Mark Gubicza held the Tigers to four hits, including a home run by Darrell Evans, and he turned over a 3-1 lead to Quisenberry, who saved 89 games the last two seasons.

Three hits, one a bunt, gave the Tigers a run in the eighth. When John Grubb, 2 for 23, opened the ninth with a single, the rally was on. Singles by Evans and Chet Lemon tied the game. Chris Pittaro walked to fill the bases with one out. With the outfield playing in, Lou Whitaker hit a 390-foot single to hand Quiz his second loss of the young season.

Boston 12, Chicago 8--Chicago’s Comiskey Park is not known as a home-run hitters park, but the White Sox and Red Sox have been banging ‘em out of there. Friday, the White Sox had five in an 8-1 win. Saturday, the Red Sox had four, including a grand slam in the ninth by Marty Barrett, and the White Sox had two more.

Boston’s Mike Easler and Tony Armas, decked by pitcher Britt Burns in Friday’s game, each hit a homer Saturday.

Barrett’s slam was his first homer of the season and only the fourth of his career. “I knew it was going out when I hit it, so I just stood at the plate and watched,” Barrett said. “Boy, would I have been embarrassed if it hadn’t gone out.”

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Toronto 3, Baltimore 2--There was a time not long ago when the Orioles almost never blew a lead in the late innings. This game at Toronto was the second in a row in which the bullpen and defense faltered.

Friday, the Orioles jumped in front, 4-0, but Toronto’s Jesse Barfield hit a three-run homer in the seventh to beat Sammy Stewart, 6-5. In this one they led, 2-0, through six innings.

In both games, errors by shortstop Cal Ripken, one of the Orioles’ dependables, opened the way for the winning rally.

In the seventh, the Blue Jays chased Oriole rookie Ken Dixon and scored a run. In the eighth, Ripken fumbled Lloyd Moseby’s grounder to start the inning. Willie Upshaw tripled to tie the score and Willie Aikens’ sacrifice fly put Toronto ahead.

New York 5, Cleveland 2--Mike Pagliarulo’s three-run double in the first inning at New York sent Phil Niekro on his way to his second win of the season and 286th of his career. But it took brilliant relief by Bob Shirley and Dave Righetti to make it safe. Shirley took over in the sixth and pitched three scoreless innings and Righetti finished up for his fourth save.

Texas 5, Milwaukee 1--Dickie Noles held the Brewers to an infield hit in seven innings at Milwaukee to win his first game as a starter for the Rangers. Brian Giles beat out a hit in the third and Noles, who didn’t walk a batter, retired everyone else until Dave Schmidt took over in the eighth to gain the save.

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