American League Roundup : Wild Pitch Gives Texas a Wild Win, 8-7

Joe Beckwith uncorked a wild pitch to send home Curtis Wilkerson in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Texas Rangers rallied from seven runs down to beat the Kansas City Royals, 8-7, Monday night at Arlington, Tex.

Wilkerson led off the ninth with a single off Beckwith (1-2) and Oddibe McDowell sacrificed. Wilkerson moved to third on Jim Sundberg’s passed ball, and Toby Harrah and Buddy Bell were intentionally walked to load the bases.

Beckwith’s first pitch to Larry Parrish sailed a foot over his head, scoring Wilkerson.

Dave Schmidt (2-2), the third Texas pitcher, pitched one-hit relief for three innings to get the victory.

Texas tied the score, 7-7, with six runs in the sixth, capped by Cliff Johnson’s two-run single and Pete O’Brien’s two-run homer.

Willie Wilson hit a three-run homer in the second inning to give the Royals a 5-0 lead, and Jim Sundberg hit a solo shot in the fourth. Darryl Motley’s sacrifice fly made it 7-0 in the fifth.

The Rangers’ comeback began on Ward’s solo homer in the fifth.

Toronto 6, Chicago 1--Jesse Barfield drove in three runs with a homer and a sacrifice fly as the Blue Jays beat the White Sox at Toronto to climb past idle Baltimore into first place in the East.

Jimmy Key (3-2) pitched a four-hitter for his first major-league complete game, allowing only Greg Walker’s two-out homer in the sixth inning. The 24-year-old left-hander struck out three and walked one before a Victoria Day holiday crowd of 44,715, the second-largest crowd in the nine-year history of the franchise.

Chicago’s Tom Seaver (4-2) dropped a throw at first base with two out in the second, and Ernie Whitt followed with a run-scoring double before Barfield homered.

Minnesota 5, Boston 2--John Butcher, a questionable starter because of the flu, scattered eight hits over 7 innings as the Twins turned back the Red Sox at Minneapolis.

Butcher (4-2) struck out two and walked none. He lost his shutout in the eighth inning when Wade Boggs singled home a run and scored on Bill Buckner’s double. Ron Davis finished the eighth, and Curt Wardle pitched the ninth to get his first save.