American League Roundup : Indian Offense Makes It Easy for Niekro, Carlton, 14-3

The Cleveland Indians, considered one of the best young teams in baseball, turned to their senior citizens Thursday to pick up their first win of the season.

Phil Niekro and Steve Carlton became the first pair of 300-game winners to pitch for the same team in the same game as the Indians breezed to a 14-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Toronto.

Niekro, 48, allowed seven hits in five innings to move into 10th place on the all-time list with his 312th career victory.

Carlton, 42, who has 323 career victories, scattered four hits over the final four innings for his first save since 1968 and only the second of his career.

“Everybody jokes about our ages except us,” said Niekro, who was making his debut in his 22nd season. “We both feel we can still pitch and get guys out.”

The Indians hit four home runs, including a grand slam by Cory Snyder that highlighted a six-run first inning, and had 15 hits against four Toronto pitchers. Tony Bernazard, Julio Franco and Joe Carter also homered for Cleveland.

Carter and Brook Jacoby each had three runs batted in.

Carlton, who usually shuns the media, said of his Indian debut, which ended his major league record string of 544 straight starts: “It felt strange, absolutely strange. I’m not accustomed to warming up like that and then coming in trying to get ground-ball outs.”

Milwaukee 12, Boston 11--Rob Deer hit two three-run homers, and rookie B.J. Surhoff added a solo shot that broke an 11-11 tie in the eighth inning as the Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the defending American League champions at Milwaukee.

Surhoff’s first major league home run came off Steve Crawford (0-1) after Boston’s Danny Sheaffer had tied the game with his first major league homer with two out in the seventh against Milwaukee reliever Chris Bosio (1-0).

Deer, who hit 33 home runs last season, capped a five-run third inning with his first homer and highlighted a four-run fifth inning with his second.

Chicago 6, Kansas City 0--Jose DeLeon and Bobby Thigpen combined on a three-hitter, and Greg Walker tripled home two runs for the White Sox at Kansas City.

DeLeon, who struck out 6 and walked 5, gave up only a leadoff bunt single to Willie Wilson in the first inning and did not allow a runner to second base until he issued one-out walks to George Brett and Frank White in the seventh.

Steve Balboni walked to load the bases with two out before Thigpen came in and got pinch-hitter Thad Bosley to fly out.

Minnesota 5, Oakland 4--Pinch-hitter Dan Gladden capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with a bases-loaded single that gave the Twins a sweep of the season-opening series at Minneapolis.

With one out in the ninth, Gary Gaetti doubled off reliever Jay Howell (0-1), and Tom Brunansky singled to cut the A’s lead to 4-3. Roy Smalley then doubled high off the right-field wall.

Howell intentionally walked pinch-hitter Mark Salas to get to Gladden, who singled to left.

Detroit 9, New York 3--The Tigers scored six runs in the third inning and romped, averting a three-game Yankee sweep in the season-opening series at Detroit.

Chet Lemon homered to break a 1-1 tie in the second and doubled home another run in the third.

Walt Terrell (1-0), who ran his career record at Tiger Stadium to 20-5, worked 8 innings, giving up 10 hits and striking out 5.

Baltimore 8, Texas 6--Consecutive home runs by Fred Lynn and Ray Knight touched off a six-run sixth inning that carried the Orioles to victory at Baltimore.

Ken Dixon (1-0) struck out 9 and scattered 7 hits over 6 innings to pick up the victory.