American League Roundup : Twins’ Miller Takes a Winning Rally in Stride

If Friday night is anything to go by, don’t look for Ray Miller, the new manager of the Twins, to become overly emotional when his team wins.

Miller, who took over from the fired Billy Gardner Friday, was less than overflowing with praise when rookie Mark Salas lined a game-winning, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Twins beat the Texas Rangers, 3-2, at Minneapolis.

Miller stayed in the dugout while the entire Minnesota squad charged onto the field to congratulate Salas after his hit capped a three-run rally in the ninth.

“Mark did a good job, but that’s what he’s supposed to do,” Miller said. “I don’t want to see too much emotion, nor do I want to make a big deal of a kid getting a base hit to win a game. I came from a team (Baltimore) that’s a consistent winner and that’s what’s expected.”

Charlie Hough (5-8) took a 2-0 lead and a six-hitter into the ninth. But Tom Brunansky drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by Roy Smalley. Gary Gaetti tried to sacrifice, but Brunansky was forced out at third on the bunt.

Tim Teufel then walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Randy Bush grounded out to first, scoring Smalley, and Salas followed with his two-run single.

Ken Schrom (6-5) pitched a six-hitter for the victory.

Toronto 7, Boston 2--Lloyd Moseby got three hits, drove in three runs, scored another and stole his 19th and 20th bases of the season as the Blue Jays rolled over the Red Sox at Toronto.

“When you’re not getting the home run production, you’ve got to do all the little things to help you win,” Moseby said. “The bunts, sacrifice flies, hit-and-runs and stolen bases are the things you’ve got to do.”

Willie Upshaw hit a solo home run to help make a winner of left-hander Jimmy Key (5-2) and send the Red Sox to their fourth straight defeat.

Bruce Hurst (2-7) took the loss.

Detroit 6, New York 4--The Yankees’ Rickey Henderson, leading the AL with a .357 batting average, had three hits--including a pair of home runs--in four at-bats, but Lou Whitaker’s two-run homer triggered a four-run sixth inning that carried the Tigers to the victory.

“It only comes around once or twice a season where you hit like this,” said Henderson, who is 15 for 20 in his last five games. “You have to make the most of it. It would have meant more, though, if we had won the game tonight.”

Whitaker, who has never hit more than 15 home runs in a season, has 12 this season.

Kirk Gibson homered in the seventh inning and Darrell Evans homered in the eighth as the Tigers extended their winning streak to four with their 10th victory in the last 12 games.

Randy O’Neal (2-1) went 7 innings for the victory. Willie Hernandez finished up to notch his 14th save. Phil Niekro (7-6) took the loss.

Milwaukee 13, Baltimore 10--Cecil Cooper drove in four runs with three hits and the Brewers put together a nine-run sixth inning to rally past the Orioles at Milwaukee.

Jaime Cocanower (1-0) worked 5 innings of relief for the victory. He gave up six hits and one run while striking out four.

Sammy Stewart (2-3) took the loss for Baltimore, which led, 6-0, after one inning.

Oakland 9, Cleveland 1--Don Sutton scattered five hits over seven innings for his 286th career victory and Dave Kingman hit his 17th homer of the season as the A’s breezed at Oakland.

Sutton (6-5) gave up consecutive doubles to Brook Jacoby and Joe Carter to lead off the second inning, but the Indians failed to move a runner past first base the rest of the night off Sutton.