American League Roundup : Morris’ Fourth Shutout Is a Three-Hitter, 5-0

Jack Morris, the Detroit Tigers’ answer to Roger Clemens, threw his hat into the Cy Young derby Monday night.

Morris pitched a three-hitter for his fourth shutout to give the Tigers a 5-0 victory and their only win in the teams’ four-game series.

Morris rode a two-run homer by Lou Whitaker and a solo shot by John Grubb to improve his record to 14-7 and snap the Red Sox’s four-game winning streak.

“They’d better not be giving him (Clemens) the Cy Young already,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “He’s got 17 (wins) and Jack’s got 14.”

Morris (14-7) struck out three and walked four for his 10th complete game.

“The Jack Morrises of this world, there are very few of them,” Anderson said. “He’s taken pretty good care of me for the last seven years.”

For Morris, keeping the Tigers from being swept was more satisfying than his individual achievement. Detroit moved back within 6 1/2 games of the Red Sox.

“Our pitching really wasn’t all that hot the first three games,” Morris said. “I’m not pointing fingers or naming names. We just didn’t get the job done. We got our five runs tonight, played good defense and won.”

Boston Manager John McNamara said it was “just one of those nights.”

“Everything we hit, we hit right at somebody,” he said. “You’re never satisfied, but if someone had said coming in that we’d take three out of four, I guess we would have flown right to Kansas City and not played.”

The Tigers saddled Boston pitcher Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd (11-8) with his second loss in his two starts since returning from a three-week suspension.

“I thought Oil Can pitched very well,” McNamara said. “We just didn’t get him any runs.”

Boyd continued his refusal to grant interviews.

Grubb hit his 10th homer of the year in the second inning.

New York 6, Cleveland 5--Don Mattingly broke a ninth-inning tie at New York with a two-out single as the Yankees ended the Indians’ three-game winning streak.

With two out in the bottom of the ninth, Wayne Tolleson beat out a grounder to shortstop off reliever Frank Wills (0-1). Rickey Henderson, who went 3 for 5, including his 20th homer of the season, singled Tolleson to third. Henderson then stole second without a throw before Mike Fischlin walked to load the bases for Mattingly, who lined a 2-and-2 pitch into right field to end the game.

Mattingly broke out of a 1-for-14 slump with two base hits.

“Hopefully this is something that will get me going,” Mattingly said. “I haven’t been swinging very well. I’d been trying to do some new things, but late in the game tonight, I just went back to the way I had been swinging.”

The victory pulled the Yankees within five games of the Red Sox.

Brian Fisher (7-5) was the victor in relief of Ron Guidry, who gave up home runs to Brook Jacoby, Tony Bernazard and Julio Franco in his 6 innings.

Chicago 6, Milwaukee 1--Russ Morman drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a single as the White Sox beat the Brewers at Milwaukee. Morman had two of Chicago’s five hits.

Morman has two homers and eight RBIs in eight games since being called up from the minors Aug. 3.

His hits were the only two for Chicago until Daryl Boston added a two-run single in the three-run eighth. Carlton Fisk led off the ninth with a solo homer.

Winner Floyd Bannister (7-9) hurled his third complete game, allowing eight hits, striking out four and walking two. The victory was only the second in the left-hander’s last seven starts.

Loser Chris Bosio (0-1) was impressive in his first major league start. Bosio started in place of Juan Nieves, who has an injured ankle. Bosio pitched hitless ball for 4 innings before giving up the homer to Morman, a two-run shot that scored Ron Hassey, who walked. Bosio, a right-hander, allowed only one hit while walking two and striking out two.

Baltimore 3, Toronto 1--Mike Flanagan pitched a two-hitter over 8 innings as the Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak at Baltimore.

Flanagan (6-7) outpitched Jimmy Key (10-8). Flanagan, the left-hander who won the Cy Young Award in 1979, struck out 6 and retired 17 straight batters until Ron Shepherd walked with one out in the ninth. Tony Fernandez followed by doubling home Shepherd. Don Aase finished for his 29th save.

Flanagan has 17 career victories against Toronto, more than any other pitcher. He has lost seven to the Blue Jays.

Seattle 6, Oakland 4--Spike Owen and Domingo Ramos each drew bases-loaded walks from Fernando Arroyo with two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Mariners a win at Oakland.

Danny Tartabull gave Seattle its first four runs with a seventh-inning grand slam, his 19th home run of the season.