American League Roundup : Morris Delivers a 3-Hitter and a Message, 8-0

Jack Morris put the rest of the league on notice, then gave the word to his own Detroit Tigers.

Morris, continuing to show that he can still pitch after a slow start this season, hurled a three-hitter to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-0, Thursday night at Detroit.

Then he said the Tigers had better make some off-season moves to improve drastically or he might go elsewhere next season.

“I’ve learned a lot about me in the last decade, and it’s that it’s no fun losing,” said Morris (17-8), who becomes a free agent after the season. “We’ve lost a lot around here. There are other criteria, of course, but it’s just more fun to be around when you’re winning.

“I’m saying I will patiently wait and see what they do. I’ll make my decision later on (in the winter). I understand the game of baseball. I know it’s not always as easy as it looks. But I also know I don’t want to sit around five years and watch this club rebuild.”

Morris struck out five and didn’t allow a Brewer past second base while pitching his fifth shutout of the season, tops in the league. He is the only major league pitcher with 15 victories or more in each of the last five seasons.

Darnell Coles hit a three-run double in the first inning, and Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammell and Tom Brookens each homered. Gibson has three homers in two games and 25 for the season.

The Tigers handed Juan Nieves (10-10) his sixth straight loss. Nieves has not won since July 28.

New York 3-7, Toronto 1-5--Pinch-hitter Dan Pasqua’s three-run double in a four-run ninth inning of the nightcap gave the Yankees a sweep of their doubleheader with the fading Blue Jays at Toronto.

The Blue Jays have lost four games in a row, trail first-place Boston by nine games and lead third-place New York by only one.

Rick Leach hit a three-run homer, and Jesse Barfield added a solo shot, his 31st of the season, as the Blue Jays built a 5-3 lead entering the ninth, before the Yankees exploded against Tom Henke (9-4).

Dave Righetti, who saved the first game, preserved the nightcap for Brian Fisher (9-5) and increased his season save total to 38.

Rickey Henderson hit his 25th homer of the season for the Yankees.

In the opener, rookie Doug Drabek (5-7) pitched a five-hitter for 7 innings before Righetti finished up.

Ron Kittle homered in both games, his 18th and 19th of the season and first since being acquired by New York July 29.

Don Mattingly went 2 for 3 in the first game and reached the 200-hit mark for the third straight year. The only other Yankee to have three consecutive 200-hit seasons was Lou Gehrig, from 1930 through 1932.

Baltimore 8, Boston 6--Pinch-hitter Lee Lacy singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning at Baltimore as the Orioles stopped the Red Sox’s 11-game winning streak.

Juan Beniquez followed Lacy’s hit with a sacrifice fly, and Don Aase (6-7) pitched the final two innings for the victory.

Boston had a 6-4 lead in the seventh, but errors by first baseman Bill Buckner and right fielder Dwight Evans put the tying runs in scoring position for Baltimore. Cal Ripken drove in one run with an infield out, and Eddie Murphy singled to tie the score.

Buckner homered twice and drove in three runs, giving him 14 RBIs in his last 9 games and 94 for the season.

Boston’s Jim Rice hit a sacrifice fly that gave him 100 RBIs.

Minnesota 6, Texas 2--Mark Salas homered twice and knocked in four runs, and Gary Gaetti hit his 30th homer as the Twins beat the Rangers at Minneapolis.

The victory snapped the Twins’ five-game losing streak and dropped the Rangers nine games behind the Angels in the West.

Frank Viola (14-11) struck out seven Rangers in seven innings before giving way to George Frazier, who finished up.

Charlie Hough (12-10), who had a 10-3 career mark against the Twins, took the loss.

Oakland 2, Chicago 1--Joaquin Andujar pitched a six-hitter, and rookie Jose Canseco hit his 30th home run as the A’s turned back the White Sox at Chicago.

Andujar (10-6) won his third straight game. He struck out three while pitching his fifth complete game and third in a row. Rich Dotson (10-14) lost despite pitching a five-hitter.

Dusty Baker’s run-scoring double broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning. Baker went 3 for 3 with two doubles after a 4-for-29 slump.

Canseco, who leads the majors with 107 RBIs, became the sixth player in Oakland A’s history to reach the 30-homer mark.

Kansas City 7, Seattle 6--Willie Wilson tripled home Rudy Law in the 10th inning to give the Royals a victory over the Mariners at Kansas City.

Royal rookie Bo Jackson and Jim Sundberg each went 4 for 5. Jackson had four singles, three of them infield hits, and got his first major league RBI. Sundberg drove in four runs, three with an eighth-inning homer.

Dan Quisenberry (2-5) won in relief. Mark Huismann (3-4), the fourth Seattle pitcher, took the loss.