American League Roundup : Lynn’s Home Run in 9th Beats White Sox, 7-6

Fred Lynn hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth inning Thursday night to cap a four-run Baltimore rally and give the Orioles a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Baltimore.

Lynn’s opposite-field drive came on a 2-and-1 pitch by Mike Stanton and was his third ninth-inning game-winning homer of the season.

Stanton (1-3) became Chicago’s fifth pitcher after relief ace Bob James twisted his ankle while making an 0-1 pitch to Lee Lacy with two out and none on in the ninth.

Lacy singled for his fourth hit of the game, and Cal Ripken walked. Eddie Murray then hit an RBI single before Lynn’s homer barely cleared the fence in left. It was Lynn’s 15th homer of the season.

“When you’re hitting .260, you’d better hit some homers,” Lynn said. “That’s what they got me for, but I’d like to be hitting for a better average.”

Sammy Stewart (3-4) allowed one hit in 2 innings of relief to earn the win.

Carlton Fisk hit his 22nd home run of the season in the third. The homer was his 243rd while playing as a catcher, snapping a tie with Roy Campanella for the No. 3 spot on the all-time list. Johnny Bench leads all catchers with 389 homers, and Yogi Berra had 313.

Oakland 9, Milwaukee 3--Mickey Tettleton homered, singled and scored three runs, and Don Sutton won his sixth straight game as the A’s defeated the Brewers at Oakland.

The A’s handed Sutton (9-5) an early six-run lead, scoring three runs in the second inning against Pete Vuckovich (3-7) and three more off reliever Jamie Cocanower in the third. Sutton pitched seven innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs.

Kansas City 1, Cleveland 0--Danny Jackson tossed a six-hitter, and George Brett’s first-inning home run provided the game’s only run as the Royals shut out the Indians at Cleveland.

Jackson (7-6) struck out four and walked one while posting his fourth complete game and third shutout, outpitching Cleveland’s Vern Ruhle (2-4), who pitched a five-hitter for his first complete game.

Brett, who cracked his 12th home run with two out in the first, went 3 for 4. Brett is hitting .575 in July, with 23 hits in 40 at-bats, and has improved his average to .359, two points ahead of the Yankees’ Rickey Henderson.

Minnesota 5, Detroit 1--Mike Smithson pitched a six-hitter for eight innings, and Mark Salas doubled home a pair of runs to key a three-run fifth inning as the Twins upended the Tigers at Detroit.

It was the Twins’ fifth victory without a defeat over the defending World Series champions this season.

New York 11, Texas 7--Pinch-hitter Don Baylor hit the 10th grand slam of his career to cap an eight-run fourth inning that sparked the Yankees at New York.

Bob Shirley (3-2), the third of four Yankee pitchers, gained the win with five innings of relief. Glen Cook (2-1) took the loss.

Boston 7, Seattle 1--Al Nipper and Steve Crawford combined on a one-hitter, and Steve Lyons knocked in three runs, two with a homer, to lead the Red Sox past the Mariners at Seattle.

Nipper (5-6) allowed only a sixth-inning single by Ivan Calderon but walked six in 5 innings before being relieved by Crawford.