American League Roundup : Sutton Gets 293rd Win as A’s Defeat Tigers, 8-3

Don Sutton has had it in the back of his mind for five years, even when others thought he’d never make it to 300 wins.

The 40-year-old right-hander notched his 293rd career victory Friday night, pitching eight innings of five-hit ball against the Detroit Tigers in the Oakland A’s 8-3 victory at Detroit.

“Ever since I won game No. 230 (with the Dodgers in 1980), I have been thinking about it,” Sutton told the Associated Press. “Most people, even you (reporters), don’t think of me as having . . . 300 wins. I just don’t fit the mold.”

Sutton likely will have to wait until 1986 to realize his dream. With only seven or eight starts left, he’d have to be almost perfect to hit the 300 mark this season.

Sutton might have reached that total this year, but early in the season, the A’s didn’t hit when he was pitching.

“If he ain’t a Hall of Fame pitcher, I don’t know who is,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “He pitches every day, too. I’ve never known him to have a sore arm.”

The A’s, who have been producing for Sutton lately, made it easy for him Friday night with four runs in the first inning.

Sutton (13-7) gave up one earned run and struck out four in winning for the 10th time in his last 12 decisions. It was his 666th career start, tying him with Walter Johnson for fourth on the all-time list.

“I felt really good tonight,” Sutton said. “Usually I go only seven innings, but our bullpen has been overworked lately and I felt strong, so I went out for the eighth, taking it one batter at a time.”

The A’s scored six runs off Jack Morris (14-8), who was hammered for seven hits before leaving with none out in the second.

In the first inning, Bruce Bochte and Dusty Baker hit run-scoring singles, Donnie Hill doubled in a run and Morris sent another run home on a wild pitch.

Davis singled home two runs in the second to chase Morris.

Toronto 5, Chicago 3--Jimmy Key became the first Blue Jay left-hander to win 11 games in a season, and Toronto built its East lead to five games over the Yankees by beating the White Sox at Toronto.

Key (11-6) struck out five and did not walk a batter. He left with two out in the ninth after Julio Cruz’s run-scoring single. Tom Henke finished for his eighth save.

Trailing, 1-0, the Blue Jays scored three times in the fourth inning. Lloyd Moseby led off against Floyd Bannister (6-12) with his 10th homer of the season. Garth Iorg’s run-scoring double capped the rally.

The White Sox closed to 3-2 in the sixth on Scott Fletcher’s second homer, but in the Blue Jays’ seventh, Tony Fernandez tripled and scored on Ernie Whitt’s single.

Iorg singled in a run in the ninth.

Texas 4, Kansas City 1--Charlie Hough scattered seven hits, and Pete O’Brien doubled home two runs during a three-run fifth inning as the Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Royals at Arlington, Tex.

Hough (14-12) walked two and struck out three. Bud Black (8-14) took the loss as Kansas City fell to 2 1/2 games behind the Angels in the West. Hough has a 9-2 record since July 5, and in that span, the Rangers have won only 17 games.

Texas took a 1-0 lead on Toby Harrah’s run-scoring single in the first inning. In the fifth, Oddibe McDowell and Harrah singled, and O’Brien doubled them home. Gary Ward’s sacrifice fly scored O’Brien.

Milwaukee 9, Cleveland 6--Ted Simmons and Jim Gantner hit home runs as the Brewers rallied to beat the Indians at Milwaukee.

The Brewers, held hitless for 4 innings by Tom Waddell (7-6), got a three-run homer by Simmons in the sixth inning to tie the game, 3-3.

Gantner’s fifth homer led off a four-run seventh, in which Simmons added a run-scoring single.

Ed Romero capped Milwaukee’s scoring with a two-run single in the eighth.

Moose Haas (8-6) gave up seven hits in eight innings. He struck out six and walked none.

Brook Jacoby hit his 15th homer for the Indians.

Baltimore 6, Seattle 0--Storm Davis pitched a three-hitter and extended the Mariners’ scoreless streak to 20 innings in the Orioles’ victory at Baltimore.

Davis (8-7) pitched his first shutout of the season. Mark Langston (7-11) took the loss.

John Shelby’s two-run double in the second inning put the Orioles in front, 2-0, and Floyd Rayford and Rick Dempsey made it 4-0 with homers in the fourth.

Dempsey’s homer gave the Orioles nine players with 10 or more home runs, tying a major league record. Lee Lacy has 9 homers with 37 games left.

Boston 7, Minnesota 3--Rich Gedman hit a two-run homer, and Dwight Evans added a solo shot as the Red Sox beat the Twins at Minneapolis.

Bob Ojeda (6-8) scattered 10 hits in seven innings to get his first victory since July 25. Steve Crawford pitched the final two innings for his sixth save. John Butcher (9-12) took the loss.

Boston’s Bill Buckner drove in three runs with a pair of singles.