American League Roundup : Kansas City Does All the Bombing in the Bronx, 13-3

Jim Sundberg hit two home runs, Darryl Motley hit a grand slam and Steve Balboni hit a three-run shot Sunday to spoil Billy Martin and the New York Yankees’ day at Yankee Stadium.

The barrage of long balls enabled the Kansas City Royals to jump all over the Yankees, 13-3, and take some luster off the tribute to four-time Manager Billy Martin.

A crowd of 40,198 was on hand to hear Martin say: “I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I am the proudest.”

Most of the fans didn’t stay around much longer than starting pitcher Dennis Rasmussen (12-3).

In his second start since recovering from a bruised elbow, Rasmussen gave up a home run to Sundberg in the third but was tied, 1-1, going into the fourth, when the Royals scored five times before he could get a batter out. Balboni doubled in one run. Then Motley, 1 for 24 since returning from the minors, hit a grand slam, as the Royals went on to only their second win over the Yankees in nine games this season. It was only the second win for the Royals in their last 18 games at Yankee Stadium.

“We don’t need one game like this,” said Balboni, who hit his 25th home run in the fifth inning. “We need a lot like this. We need two or three in a row.

“I remember up in Boston we scored 11 runs in one inning and the next day we didn’t do anything. That’s what’s happened all season. Last year, we were able to put together a streak.”

The loss dropped the Yankees six games behind the Red Sox in the East. It also ended Rasmussen’s seven-game winning streak.

Rookie Scott Bankhead (6-5) left after six innings with a 10-2 lead. Dennis Leonard and Dan Quisenberry finished up for the Royals, who trail the Angels in the West by 12 games.

Boston 9, Detroit 6--Rich Gedman, who didn’t start behind the plate for the Red Sox at Detroit because of an aching back, let it be known he could pinch-hit.

So, after Darrell Evans hit a grand slam in the seventh to give the Tigers a 6-4 lead, Red Sox Manager John McNamara found a spot for Gedman in the eighth.

McNamara sent Gedman, who had been laying on a bench, resting his sore back, to bat for Marc Sullivan with the bases loaded. Gedman lined his 10th home run into the lower deck in right.

It came too late, though, to help Roger Clemens win his 18th. Clemens, who has been pitching in tough luck lately, departed with a 4-2 lead after giving up a lead-off single to Alan Trammell in the seventh. Tim Lollar hit Kirk Gibson with an 0-and-2 pitch and gave up a two-strike single to Larry Herndon to load the bases. With the count 1-and-2, Evans smashed his 18th home run.

Don Baylor hit two home runs for the Red Sox, who stretched their lead in the East to six games with their third win in a row over the Tigers. While the Red Sox have emerged from their slump, Baltimore and Detroit, which appeared to be closing in on the Red Sox, have dropped back.

Toronto 8, Texas 7--After coming from behind to win four consecutive games, luck finally ran out on the Rangers at Arlington, Tex., and they finally lost ground to the Angels.

After scoring twice in the seventh inning to get even with the Blue Jays, the Rangers lost in the 10th when two walks, an infield out and pinch-hitter Rick Leach’s sacrifice fly produced the winning run. The loss dropped the Rangers 2 1/2 games behind the Angels.

The Rangers, who trailed most of the game, caught up with three extra-base hits in the seventh. Steve Buechele doubled, and with two out, Oddibe McDowell doubled him home. Ruben Sierra then tripled to tie the score.

Mark Eichhorn (9-3) pitched three scoreless innings to win in relief.

The Rangers used six pitchers. In the last five games, they have used 23 pitchers who have yielded 40 runs.

Oakland 6-6, Minnesota 2-5--Although the league’s leading RBI man, Jose Canseco, sat out the doubleheader with a bruised left wrist, the A’s got timely hitting from two others to a sweep at Oakland.

In the opener, Rusty Tillman, getting a chance to play the outfield in Canseco’s absence, drove in his first two major league runs to help Curt Young (9-7). Young pitched seven shutout innings.

In the nightcap, Dwayne Murphy drove in two runs with a home run and a single. Jay Howell earned the save in both games.

Cleveland 6, Baltimore 3--After beating the slumping Orioles at Baltimore in his first major league start, Scott Bailes (9-7) is hoping he will get more chances to start.

Bailes, a 24-year-old left-hander who has pitched well out of the bullpen, held the Orioles to two runs and four hits in six innings. Before they had the victory nailed down, though, the Indians used four relief pitchers, with Ernie Camacho getting the final out.

“I feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed when I’m starting,” said Bailes, a reliever on 51 occasions. “I’m happy with the win. We still have a chance to win it.”

Mel Hall had four hits, and Tony Bernazard and Brook Jacoby had three apiece, as the Indians pounded Ken Dixon (10-9) and three successors for 17 hits.

Milwaukee 5, Chicago 4--Gorman Thomas, a longtime favorite of Milwaukee fans, gave them something more to cheer about when he hammered his 14th homer in the 11th inning.

Thomas, who won two home run titles in his previous stint with the Brewers, has hit four since returning to them after the All-Star break.