American League Roundup : Boyd and Baylor Keep Red Sox Streak Going

Oil Can Boyd held the Texas Rangers to three hits in eight innings Friday night at Arlington, Tex., and Don Baylor hit a two-run home run to give the Boston Red Sox a 2-1 victory, their sixth win in a row.

Boyd, improving his record to 5-3, retired the first 13 Rangers. He did not walk a batter and struck out four. Joe Sambito and Bob Stanley struck out the side in the ninth as the Red Sox maintained their 1 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees.

The Rangers put two men on with nobody out in the ninth. But Sambito struck out Pete O’Brien, and Stanley came in to get Pete Incaviglia and Gary Ward on strikeouts.

After the Red Sox sent one of their top pitchers, Bob Ojeda, to the New York Mets, the experts figured lack of pitching would prevent them from being a contender.

However, John McNamara’s young staff of pitchers have been the most effective in the league. They also hold the best strikeout-to-walk ratio, which improved with the 7-0 performance against the Rangers.

Roger Clemens, Boyd and Bruce Hurst have been the best trio in the league, winning 15 games among them.

“We know what it takes to do the job and we’re doing it,” Boyd told UPI. “We’re pulling for each other and we’re playing good ball. The biggest thing is, we’re united.”

One of the reasons for the Red Sox’s fast start is their ability to beat Western Division teams. With this victory, they are 25-9 against the West.

“We can’t get excited because it’s only May,” Boyd said. “But we’ve been around the league a few times and we know we can play with anybody.”

Chicago 4, Kansas City 1--Bret Saberhagen has seen about all he wants of Greg Walker. In this game at Kansas City, the 1985 Cy Young Award winner lost again because he couldn’t get the White Sox first baseman out.

For the second time in less than a week, Walker had a perfect game against Saberhagen (2-5).

Last Sunday, Walker was 3 for 3, scored and drove in a run in a 5-1 victory. In this game, he was 4 for 4 and scored a run.

Joe Cowley, recalled from the minors Wednesday, held the World Series champions to three hits in 7 innings to gain the victory. He missed a chance for a shutout when he walked two Royals in the second before Angel Salazar singled in the only run.

Cleveland 3, Toronto 1--The mayor called it Citizen’s Night, and the Indians called it Fireworks Night. Whatever, the largest crowd in the majors this season, 61,340, showed up to cheer the Indians.

The Indians responded behind the two-hit pitching of Don Schulze (3-1) and the timely hitting of Julio Franco.

George Bell led off the second inning with a home run. Later in the inning, Ernie Whitt singled for the other hit. But Schulze retired 23 of the next 24 batters.

Jim Clancy had a perfect game going and took a 1-0 lead into the sixth. Brook Jacoby singled to break the spell. Tony Bernazard also singled. With one out, Brett Butler singled to left, but Jacoby was out at the plate. Franco delivered a triple to give Schulze the two runs he needed.

Oakland 5, Detroit 1--Jose Canseco drove in one run and scored another in a three-run first inning at Detroit that helped Jose Rijo gain his second victory.

Rijo, making his first start since May 10, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and went on to pitch a six-hitter. A bloop single by Lance Parrish spoiled his bid for a shutout in the fifth.

Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 7--In a game at Minneapolis that produced seven home runs, Bert Blyleven couldn’t hold a 7-3 lead, and the Twins had to resort to a run-scoring single by Greg Gagne in the bottom of the ninth to win it.

Baltimore 7, Seattle 5--Fred Lynn hit a grand slam, and Lee Lacy drove in three runs at Seattle to give the Orioles their 11th win in the last 13 games.