American League Roundup : Blue Jays Are Suddenly Winging Again in East

Manager Bobby Cox called a meeting of his Toronto Blue Jays before Sunday’s game with Oakland. He was concerned because the Blue Jays had dropped five of their previous six games and were in danger of losing first place in the East to the onrushing New York Yankees.

Judging from the results, the meeting was just what the Blue Jays needed. The team that has led the division almost all season straightened itself out and once again is in command of what most experts consider the toughest division in baseball.

Jesse Barfield hit a two-run homer, Jeff Burroughs also homered and Jimmy Key improved his record to 9-4 Wednesday night at Toronto as the Blue Jays beat their favorite foe, Seattle, 3-1.

It was the fourth win in a row since Cox held his meeting, and the Blue Jays moved 4 1/2 games in front of the suddenly stumbling Yankees.

“At the meeting,” Barfield told United Press International, “Bobby asked us to look in the mirror, examine ourselves and make sure we’re giving 100%. The meeting taught me I should reach back for that something extra.”

That’s just what Barfield, the regular right fielder after four seasons as a platoon player, has been doing. Sunday, when the Blue Jays ended their slump with a 15-hit attack and an 11-4 win over the A’s, Barfield had a triple and two doubles, drove in three runs and scored two.

Barfield also had two hits Tuesday night and scored a run, so in the four-game winning streak he is 7 for 13.

Of his game-winning home run, Barfield told the Associated Press: “It was a 2-0 fastball right in my wheelhouse. I was looking for that pitch and I hit it well.

“The other night, I hit one that I was sure was out, but the wind held it up. Tonight, the wind was in our favor.”

Key, who has become one of the most dependable Toronto pitchers, picked up his third win in his last four starts and lowered his earned-run average to 2.65. He went 7 innings before Bill Caudill and Gary Lavelle took over.

It was the ninth win in a row for the Blue Jays over the slumping Mariners who have lost 12 of their last 15 games.

Kansas City 5, New York 3--In his opinion, Dan Quisenberry, the splendid relief pitcher, is having a poor season. You couldn’t prove it by the Yankees.

The Yankees arrived in Kansas City Monday just 1 1/2 games out of first place. They left town 4 1/2 back, and Quisenberry thwarted them in all three defeats.

Frank White drove in four runs with two home runs and a sacrifice fly to build a lead for Charlie Leibrandt (10-5). But Quisenberry had to pitch two perfect innings to keep the lead. The third save in three nights gave Quisenberry, the league leader, 21.

Yankee Manager Billy Martin, who has been blaming umpires and others for his defeats, took the blame for this one. He said he ordered his pitchers to pitch the wrong way to White and Steve Balboni, who also homered.

Boston 6, Oakland 5--Wade Boggs had three hits at Boston to extend his hitting streak to 27 games, and the Red Sox had 12 other hits, but it took a bases-loaded walk to Jackie Gutierrez in the bottom of the ninth to give Boston its fourth win in a row.

Gutierrez had batted only four times since May 25. He entered in the eighth when shortstop Glenn Hoffman hurt his shoulder. A’s reliever Jay Howell gave Rich Gedman an intentional walk to get to Gutierrez. He walked Gutierrez on a 3-1 pitch to end the game.

Boggs opened the ninth with his third single and it raised his average to .348.

Detroit 5, Chicago 4--Dan Petry threw a four-hitter at Chicago, outpitching Tom Seaver and preventing the veteran right-hander from winning his 299th game.

Seaver gave up nine hits and all the Tiger runs, but his teammates made two errors that contributed to his downfall.

Cleveland 8, Texas 4--One thing the lowly Indians can be sure of: Bert Blyleven comes prepared to finish what he starts.

In this game at Arlington, Tex., Blyleven improved his record to 9-10 by pitching his 15th complete game of the season and his 10th in a row.

Blyleven gave up seven hits, struck out nine and walked five in beating the Rangers for the fifth straight time.

Mike Hargrove led the Indians’ 12-hit attack with a single, a double and his first home run of the season.

Baltimore 4, Minnesota 2--Eddie Murray hit a two-run home run, and Mike Boddicker ended a personal three-game losing streak in this game at Minneapolis.

Boddicker, in evening his record at 10-10, struck out eight in seven innings. Don Aase pitched the last two innings, giving up the final Minnesota run.