American League Roundup : Stieb Plays a New Role but Gets an Old Result in Loss to A’s

Dave Stieb, the American League earned-run average leader last year, a 16-game winner the season before and a 17-game winner the two years before that, found another reason to be frustrated Saturday in a 1986 season that has been filled with problems.

With the Toronto Blue Jays trailing the Oakland A’s, 3-2, in the top of the ninth inning, Stieb made the third relief appearance of his major league career and his first since Oct. 4, 1980. The results were similar to most of this year’s starts for Stieb, who came into the game with a 2-9 record and a 5.74 ERA.

Rookie Jose Canseco hit Stieb’s first pitch for a two-run home run. Bruce Bochte followed with a double into the right-field corner. Carney Lansford then singled to center, but the inning ended as Bochte was thrown out at the plate. The two runs were needed as the A’s held off the Blue Jays, 5-3, at Exhibition Stadium.

“I just tried to have him come in today and get one out and pick himself up a bit,” Blue Jay Manager Jimy Williams said.

“It was a 3-2 game, and if he can get an out, we can come back in the bottom (half of the inning) and get a win for him and maybe boost his confidence.”

Instead, the only thing boosted was Stieb’s ERA. Canseco even questioned Williams’ decision in replacing left-hander Stan Clarke with the right-handed Stieb.

“It may have seemed like the percentage thing to do, but 21 of my 22 homers have come against right-handers,” said Canseco, the major league home run (22) and RBI (76) leader. “I guess they weren’t looking at the right percentages.”

It was also the 22nd homer allowed by Stieb this year, matching his total for the entire 1985 season.

Jimmy Key, who had won his last four starts for Toronto, gave up two runs on nine hits over seven innings to drop to 8-6. Dave Stewart (2-0), in his third start for Oakland since being called up May 28, struck out a season-high seven in seven innings, while Steve Ontiveros collected his eighth save.

Texas 11, Cleveland 6--The Rangers broke a three-game losing streak and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Angels in the West as Scott Fletcher, Pete O’Brien and Toby Harrah each drove in two runs at Cleveland.

Charlie Hough (9-4) scattered nine hits over 7 innings, leaving after giving up solo home runs to Joe Carter (his 15th), Pat Tabler (fourth) and rookie Cory Snyder (eighth). Reliever Greg Harris came in to get the last four outs.

John Butcher (1-6) took the loss for the Indians, who were defeated for only the third time in their last 13 games. Texas scored five runs in the third inning off Butcher and his replacement, Don Schulze.

Kansas City 7, Detroit 4--Frank White drove in two runs, and Willie Wilson and Lonnie Smith each scored twice at Kansas City as the Tigers dropped two games below .500.

White had an RBI single in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the three-run fourth. Charlie Leibrandt (9-6) got the win, with Danny Jackson pitching the ninth for his first major league save.

Rookie right-hander Eric King (5-2) was the loser. Dave Engle had three doubles for Detroit.

New York 8, Minnesota 0--Mike Pagliarulo hit a 443-foot home run, his fifth homer in the last eight games and 21st of the season, and Don Mattingly drove in two runs to back the six-hit pitching of rookie Scott Nielsen at Minneapolis.

It was the fourth straight win for the Yankees and the fifth consecutive loss for the Twins. Minnesota has been outscored, 40-5, during that stretch.

Chicago 6, Baltimore 3--Harold Baines went 4 for 4, including a double in a four-run sixth inning, and made a diving catch to end the game at Chicago as the White Sox broke a three-game losing streak.

Seattle 15, Milwaukee 9--Danny Tartabull and Scott Bradley each drove in four runs, and John Moses knocked in three to lead the Mariners at Milwaukee in a game that was held up for 1 hour 57 minutes at the start because of rain, marking the third straight night that rain has delayed a game during this series.

The loss was Milwaukee’s seventh straight at home, a club record since the franchise shifted from Seattle. It was the Mariners’ ninth victory in 13 games.