Baseball Roundup : Rose Gets 2 Hits, Then His Bases-Loaded Walk in 12th Beats Cardinals

Pete Rose, after collecting two hits earlier in the game, drew a walk with the bases loaded and two out in the 12th inning Wednesday night at Cincinnati to give the Reds a 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the two hits, Rose moved ever closer to Ty Cobb’s career record. Rose now needs only nine hits to break the record.

The Cardinals scored all their runs in the third inning and went into the sixth, behind 20-game winner Joaquin Andujar, holding a 6-0 lead. But the Reds tied the score, knocking Andujar out of the box. Rose drove in the tying run with a ground-out.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the 12th. Dave Concepcion singled off loser Jeff Lahti. Dave Van Gorder also singled. Ron Oester, attempting to sacrifice, popped out, and the runners moved up on an infield out. Pinch-hitter Tony Perez was given an intentional walk so that left-hander Rick Horton could pitch to the switch-hitting Rose. Rose walked on a 3-1 pitch.

The defeat cut the Cardinals’ lead over the New York Mets to 2 1/2 games. However, the Cardinals, who had won six in a row on this trip, will play 23 of their last 38 games at home. Their 39-18 record is the best in the league at home.

Just before the game, the Cardinals learned they would be without their only real power hitter, Jack Clark, at least until Sept. 9. Clark, who has 21 of the Cardinals’ 64 home runs, injured the rib cage on his left side while fouling off a pitch last Friday. After four victories, the Cardinals lost their first game without Clark.

The Cardinals’ Willie McGee went 3 for 6 and increased his average, highest in the majors to .363.

Andujar had a three-hitter going into the sixth but gave up five hits and was charged with all six Red runs.

Houston 3, Chicago 0--Nolan Ryan did not seem particularly elated about ending his eight-game losing streak in this game at Houston, nor concerned because he had to leave in the seventh inning with a shoulder problem.

Ryan, who had not won since he beat Atlanta June 17, gave up four hits and had eight strikeouts before leaving with two out in the seventh inning and a 2-2 count on Jody Davis.

“I wasn’t concerned about the streak,” Ryan said. “I’ve pitched well lately. My job basically is to keep the team in the game.

“I don’t think the injury is serious. I felt a little knot behind my shoulder. On the next pitch, I felt a little tug and left. I’ll know Friday when I throw if it is anything.”

Jeff Heathcock replaced Ryan and retired all seven batters he faced to gain his first save. He had three strikeouts.

Atlanta 6, Pittsburgh 1--Len Barker, hampered by neck and elbow ailments all season, turned in his best effort of the season and kept Bobby Wine perfect (3-0) as the interim manager of the Braves.

Barker gave up three hits in five innings at Atlanta as the Braves handed the Pirates their 17th loss in a row on the road. Craig McMurtry, another struggling pitcher, gave up one run in the last four innings.

“I was real gratified,” said Barker, who made 95 pitches. “It’s been a long time since I’ve pitched like that. I was ready to come out. My arm was a little tight.”

Minnesota 6, Toronto 5--After a month of brilliant relief pitching for the Blue Jays, Tom Henke finally proved he was human.

The right-hander served up a tying two-run homer to Mark Salas in the eighth inning at Minneapolis, then lost his first game in the 10th. Although Tom Brunansky singled off Jim Acker with the bases loaded to end it, Henke had put the runners on base. Brunansky’s hit ended a 1-for-18 slump.

Henke had won three games and saved seven since joining the Blue Jays late in July.

The loss cut the Blue Jays’ lead in the East to 4 1/2 games over the idle New York Yankees. However, the Blue Jays have 34 games remaining, and 22 of them are at home, where they are 40-18.

Kansas City 8, Milwaukee 2--The Royals hit four home runs at Milwaukee, including a three-run smash by Darryl Motley and a two-run homer by Steve Balboni and moved within two games of the Angels in the West.

Mark Gubicza gave up six hits in eight innings to improve his record to 10-7.

Lonnie Smith and Frank White also homered for the Royals. The home run for Balboni was his 27th.

George Brett had a single in three official at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and move him into a tie with Wade Boggs for the batting lead with a .356 average.

Cleveland 7, Boston 4--Even a swarm of insects that hovered inside Cleveland Stadium in the sixth inning couldn’t slow down the hot Indians.

An inning later, Julio Franco hit a grand slam to break open a close game and give the Indians their seventh win in the last eight games. Despite Tony Armas’ 18th home run, the Red Sox lost their fifth in a row and 11th in the last 12 games.

The swarm of insects forced some of the Red Sox players to leave the field in the sixth while reliever Mark Clear was warming up. Franco’s home run in the seventh was the first yielded by Clear this season.

Jamie Easterly (3-0), making the second start of his eight-year career, gave up just two runs in 6 innings. The Indians also stopped Wade Boggs’ hitting streak at 17 games. Boggs was 0 for 5.

Chicago 5, Texas 1--Bryan Little, who hit his first home run of the season Saturday, hit his second in this game at Chicago, a three-run smash in the fifth inning.