American League Roundup : Don Sutton Wins His 292nd Game as A’s Take a Pair From the Twins

Last winter, when he was searching for a team that could use a 40-year-old right-hander who had already appeared in more than 650 major league games, Don Sutton doubted that he had a chance to reach 300 victories. He was 20 short.

The Oakland A’s were interested and made a trade with Milwaukee to get the former Dodger star. But six weeks into this season, Sutton still didn’t think he would reach his goal. He was still 17 victories away and wasn’t pitching well, either.

It’s all downhill now, and his midseason surge has made a pennant contender of the A’s.

Sutton gave the A’s a big lift as he moved within eight victories of his coveted goal and started Oakland on its way to winning both games of a doubleheader with the Twins Wednesday at Minneapolis.

The A’s won, 5-0 and 7-4, and are four games behind the Angels.

The teams completed a five-game series in the space of 50 hours. The A’s were down after losing the first three games, but Sutton pitched five-hit ball for 7 innings in the opener, and Mike Davis hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning of the nightcap to put Oakland on top for good.

“Don has chalked up a lot of victories (292) in his career,” Manager Jackie Moore of Oakland told the Associated Press. “Not only does this one put him closer to his goal, it was a heck of a boost to our club.”

Since May 22, when he was 3-5 with an ERA of 6.41, Sutton has been a different pitcher. He has won 9 of his last 10 decisions and has pitched well almost every time out. There is no longer any doubt that he will reach 300. The question is when. It could happen this season because he figures to get 10 more starts.

“Reaching 300 is the single motivating factor in my continuing to pitch, but I’m enjoying this season,” Sutton said. “If there was an opportunity for us to fold our tents, it would have been this morning. I didn’t see any evidence of it today.

“I think a lot of pitchers come into the Metrodome and change their pitching plan. I came in here today to try to pitch the same way I would in the Astrodome or the airport.”

Twin Manager Ray Miller, who thought after his team won the first three games that it was ready to make a move, praised Sutton.

“You gotta give credit to Sutton,” he said. “He pitched a hell of a game. And Davis is a good young player. You throw it where he can hit it, and he’ll hit it a long way.”

Minnesota rookie Mark Portugal, making his first start, had a four-hitter and a 3-2 lead going into the seventh inning of the second game. But he walked Dusty Baker, and Davis followed with his 22nd homer. The A’s scored two more runs before Ron Davis checked the rally. In the eighth, Davis gave up a run for the first time in his last 19 relief appearances.

In the opener Steve Howe pitched 1 scoreless innings for the Twins.

Toronto 4, Texas 1--Dave Stieb has the best earned-run average in the league, but he went into this game at Arlington, Tex., with two defeats in a row.

Stieb pitched a four-hitter, retiring 16 of the last 17 batters he faced, to improve his record to 11-8 and lower his ERA to 2.23.

Jesse Barfield broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with his 19th home run and also singled in a run in the ninth to keep the Blue Jays seven games ahead of New York.

New York 10, Chicago 7--It didn’t hurt the Yankees in this game at Chicago that Tom Seaver missed his scheduled start because of back spasms. Seaver, who beat the Yankees Aug. 4 for his 300th victory, also beat them earlier in the season.

Dan Spillner drew the assignment and gave up five hits and three runs before leaving with one out in the second inning. However, the Yankees had to come from behind with four runs in the ninth to win it.

The White Sox trailed going into the bottom of the eighth, 6-5. But Carlton Fisk hit his 32nd home run to tie it, and Ozzie Guillen singled in the tie-breaking run.

Ron Hassey singled in the first two Yankee runs in the 10th to give him the game-winning RBI for the second time in the last three games.

Boston 16, Kansas City 3--It was a good day for ex-Dodgers to hit grand slams. Ron Cey did it in a losing cause in Chicago for the Cubs, but in this game at Boston, Bill Buckner’s fifth career slam was part of a 21-hit attack that enabled the Red Sox to end a five-game losing streak.

Wade Boggs led the Red Sox assault with four hits and regained the batting lead in his battle with George Brett of the Royals. Boggs is now hitting .360, while Brett is batting .357.

Bud Black (8-12), a major disappointment to the Royals this season, failed to get out of the first inning.

“We won two of three, but now we’ve got to regroup after this one,” Royal Manager Dick Howser said. “They hit it hard, they looped it, chopped it and hit if off gloves.”

Baltimore 8, Cleveland 4--Mike Young continued his home-run spree in this game at Baltimore, and Fred Lynn and Rick Dempsey also hit home runs.

Young has seven home runs and 16 RBIs in the last 11 games. The Orioles, who lead the majors in home runs with 147, have hit 24 in the last 11 games.

It was by way of celebrating Manager Earl Weaver’s 55th birthday. Weaver is a man who really appreciates home runs.

Detroit 4, Milwaukee 3--Lance Parrish drove in two runs, and Nelson Simmons drove in the other two with a home run at Milwaukee to enable Jack Morris to improve his record to 13-6.

Morris gave up three runs on two hits in the first inning, then settled down. Danny Darwin lost his 10th straight for the Brewers.