American League Roundup : Garcia Lifts Toronto Past Detroit

Toronto second baseman Damaso Garcia drilled the first pitch of the game over the left-field fence and doubled home the winning run in the eighth inning Sunday to lift the Blue Jays to a 6-5 victory over the Tigers at Detroit.

Aurelio Lopez, the third of four Tiger pitchers, had two outs in the eighth when Tony Fernandez reached base on an infield single. A wild pickoff attempt by Lopez (1-5) allowed Fernandez to go to third and eventually score on Garcia’s double down the left-field line.

Ernie Whitt and Willie Upshaw also homered for the Blue Jays, who won two of three games in the weekend series to increase their lead over Detroit to 3 1/2 games in the AL East.

Gary Lavelle (3-2), the third Blue Jay pitcher, worked three innings for the victory. Dennis Lamp, the fifth Toronto pitcher, got his first save.

Garcia’s first-inning home run was his second of the season.

“He hit my pitch, it was no mistake,” Detroit starter Jack Morris said. “Give him credit. He hit it good.”

With two outs in the inning, Morris walked Upshaw and hit George Bell with a pitch to set up Whitt’s ninth home run--a three-run shot into the second deck in right on a 2-and-2 pitch for a 4-0 Toronto lead.

But the Tigers rallied for three in their half of the first. Lou Whitaker drew a leadoff walk and scored on Tom Brookens’ third homer--a shot into the lower deck in left on a one-strike pitch off Jim Clancy. Kirk Gibson then doubled, went to second on a single by Lance Parrish and scored on a sacrifice fly by Darrell Evans.

Upshaw led off the Toronto third with his eighth home run, but the Tigers answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning as Gibson singled and scored ahead of Parrish, who hit his 11th home run to tie the game, 5-5.

Oakland 7, Texas 4--Dave Kingman hit his American League-leading 19th home run, Dwayne Murphy hit a two-run shot and Mike Heath drove in three runs as A’s beat the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

Steve McCatty (4-3) gave up four hits in 6 innings. Jay Howell, the third Oakland pitcher, worked the final 1 innings for his 16th save.

Texas starter Charlie Hough (5-10) lost his career-high sixth game in a row. He lasted 5 innings, giving up 6 runs, 5 earned, on 9 hits and a walk.

Cleveland 7, Seattle 3--Carmen Castillo drove in three runs with a homer and scored twice as the Indians snapped the Mariners’ eight-game winning streak before 11,401 at the Kingdome.

Castillo, batting just .122 entering the game, doubled and scored in the third inning and then hit his first home run in the fourth.

Reliever Rich Thompson (2-2) held Seattle to just three hits and one run in 4 innings. Tom Waddell pitched the final 2 innings to earn his ninth save.

Minnesota 4, Chicago 3--Roy Smalley’s two-run double keyed a three-run seventh inning as the Twins completed a sweep of their three-game series with the White Sox at Chicago.

It was the fourth straight victory for the Twins, while the White Sox lost their fifth in a row and their ninth in the last 10 games.

John Butcher (5-7) was the winner, snapping a five-game losing streak. He gave up seven hits and left when Jerry Hairston drove in a run with a pinch single in the Chicago eighth. Ron Davis, the third Minnesota pitcher, got the last two outs for hiss ninth save.

Tom Seaver (7-6) took the loss.

Baltimore 3, Boston 0--Mike Boddicker scattered eight hits and Cal Ripken and Gary Roenicke drove in runs with first-inning singles as the Orioles shut out the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Boddicker struck out six and walked one in improving his record to 8-7.

Bob Ojeda (4-3) took the loss.

Milwaukee 7, New York 5--Charlie Moore’s tie-breaking two-run single with two out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning gave the Brewers the win at New York.

Moore, who also drove in a run as the Brewers strung together five consecutive singles with two out in the second inning for a 3-0 lead, rapped his game-winning hit off reliever Brian Fisher (2-2).

Bob McClure (2-0), who relieved Milwaukee starter Ray Burris in the fourth, was the winner. Rollie Fingers pitched the last two innings to earn his ninth save.

All 14 Milwaukee hits were singles, snapping a streak of 37 straight games in which the Brewers had at least one extra base hit.