American League Roundup : Stieb Stops Detroit on 3 Hits for First Shutout

The game wasn’t considered critical, but it didn’t matter to pitcher Dave Stieb.

“I don’t regard this as a real important series,” the Toronto right-hander said Friday night after stopping the Detroit Tigers, 2-0, on three hits at Detroit for his first shutout of the season. “The most important series come in September. I haven’t had a shutout in quite a while. I felt stronger the last couple of innings. Because I wanted it so bad.”

Asked what he wanted so badly, he replied, “A shutout.”

While not critical in Stieb’s eyes, it was still a meeting of the first- and second-place teams in the East, and the victory before 48,002 disappointed fans lifted Toronto’s division lead to 3 1/2 games. No matter what happens tonight and Sunday, the Blue Jays will leave the Motor City with at least a 1 1/2-game lead.

“I had a real good fastball, a good slider and I threw a lot of strikes,” said Stieb who lowered his league-leading earned-run average to 1.93 and raised his record to 8-5.

Dan Petry pitched well for Detroit, but George Bell’s two-run homer in the second inning proved to be his undoing. Petry (9-6), who has won just once in his last seven starts and has not gotten a run from his teammates in 21 innings, was asked about the artistry of Stieb’s performance.

“No, I don’t appreciate it,” Petry said. “Too many good games are being pitched against me for me to admire what they’re doing. I’m trying to win games.

“He didn’t have to do that tonight. He could have pitched another good game and lost, 3-2. I’d rather have people feel sorry for him than sorry for me.”

Toronto has won six of its last eight games. Detroit lost for only the fourth time in 17 outings.

New York 5, Milwaukee 2--Ron Guidry recovered from a shaky start in New York and recorded his eighth consecutive victory.

Guidry (9-3) gave the Brewers two runs in the first, but the Yankees came right back in their half of the inning. Red-hot Rickey Henderson, the league’s leading hitter, doubled, and Dave Winfield homered to left-center, his ninth. The blow off loser Danny Darwin (6-7) was the 17th homer he has given up this season. Darwin has been tagged for at least one in 12 of his last 13 starts.

Guidry, who had shut out Baltimore and Detroit in his two previous outings, allowed six hits over seven innings. Brian Fisher relieved Guidry to start the eighth and got two outs before giving way to Dave Righetti, who worked the final 1 innings for his 13th save.

The victory evened Guidry’s career record against Milwaukee at 7-7. The Brewers had been the only team with an edge over him.

Boston 6, Baltimore 1--After being shut out on consecutive nights by Detroit, the Red Sox knocked out 14 hits and rolled past the slumping Orioles at Boston.

Mike Easler went 4 for 4 and had two RBIs to pace the Red Sox, who broke an 18-inning scoreless streak in the first when they scored twice off loser Storm Davis (4-4). The Red Sox added single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth to send the Orioles down to their fourth straight defeat.

Bruce Hurst (3-7), banished to the bullpen in recent weeks, started in place of injured Bruce Kison and scattered six hits through seven innings. Hurst, who left the game because of a slight groin pull, struck out seven, including Fred Lynn three times and Eddie Murray twice. It was his first victory since June 2. Bob Stanley allowed one hit in the final two innings.

Gary Roenicke spoiled Hurst’s shutout bid by leading off the seventh with his sixth homer of the season.

Minnesota 5, Chicago 4--The slumping White Sox lost their seventh game in the last eight and fifth in a row at home.

Kent Hrbek drove in two runs, and Roy Smalley reached base five times on two hits and three walks to help Frank Viola improve his record to 9-6. Viola gave up nine hits and struck out six over eight innings. He took a 5-1 lead into the eighth but surrendered an RBI single to Tom Paciorek and Greg Walker’s two-run homer, his 13th of the season.

Ron Davis pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Texas 7, Oakland 5--The Rangers squandered a five-run lead, but Toby Harrah’s two-run homer in the eighth carried them past the A’s at Arlington, Tex.

After building a 5-0 lead, the Rangers saw the A’s get three runs in the sixth, one on Dusty Baker’s ninth homer of the season. They scored another run in the seventh and then tied it in the eighth on Dwayne Murphy’s 11th home run of the season.

Harrah’s homer off Keith Atherton (3-4) was his sixth. The Rangers pounded out 12 hits, including a a three-run homer by Gary Ward.

Seattle 8, Cleveland 6--Gorman Thomas hit a three-run homer, climaxing a four-run rally in the sixth inning, as the Mariners set a team record with their seventh straight victory in this game at Seattle.

The Mariners, who trailed, 6-0, had trimmed the margin to 6-3 heading into the sixth. Jack Perconte started the rally by drawing a two-out walk, and Phil Bradley was hit by a pitch. Jeff Barkley (0-3) relieved starter Neal Heaton and walked Al Cowens, loading the bases. Perconte scored on an errant pickoff throw, and Thomas then hit a drive 35 rows deep into the left-field stands to give Seattle the lead.

Roy Thomas (3-0) picked up the victory, and Ed Nunez held the Indians scoreless in the final two innings to earn his 10th save.