American League Roundup : Bret & Bo Show: Royals Win, 13-1

Manager Billy Gardner insists that the current Kansas City Royals are a much better team than the one that finished 10 games below .500 and 16 games behind the Angels last season in the American League West.

The Royals gave the first indication Friday night that their manager may be right.

Bret Saberhagen pitched a no-hitter until one was out in the eighth inning at Kansas City, and Bo Jackson had four hits and drove in three runs in a 13-1 rout of the New York Yankees.

The Royals need big seasons from both to challenge the Angels.

Saberhagen, the Cy Young Award winner with a 20-6 record in 1985, when the Royals were world champions, slumped to 7-12 and an earned-run average of 4.15 last season. He had a shoulder problem much of the time.

Don Pasqua ruined Saberhagen’s bid for a no-hitter when he doubled on a 3-and-1 pitch. Saberhagen lost his shutout in the ninth.

Jackson, the former Auburn running back who joined the Royals late last season, struck out more than one-third of the time in spring training. But he had two hits in a 9-3 win Wednesday night, and the Royals are expecting big things from him.

“We scored more runs than only one team last season (Chicago),” Gardner said. “We will do much better this season.”

Rick Rhoden was treated rudely in his debut with the Yankees. He was removed with one out in the fourth inning after giving up 5 runs and 9 hits.

Milwaukee 11, Texas 8--Robin Yount had an excellent night, all in the first inning, at Arlington, Tex.

The former star shortstop, now the Brewer center fielder, hit a two-run home run to start the eight-run inning, then singled home two more runs before the rally ended.

Despite the big working margin, Juan Nieves barely lasted long enough to get the victory. He had to be bailed out with one out in the sixth.

The Brewers, who have scored 23 runs in their last two games, lead the East with a 4-0 record.

Baltimore 12, Cleveland 11--Ray Knight is beginning to wonder why he didn’t try the American League sooner.

In just his fourth game in the league, Knight spoiled the home opener for the Indians and 64,540 fans when he doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning.

In the seventh inning, Knight hit a two-run home run. Knight appears to have solved the Orioles’ problem at third base and has been hot with the bat.

He is 9 for 14, including 2 home runs, and is batting .643.

Knight’s double scored Fred Lynn from second and came off Ernie Camacho (0-1), who got him on a pop-up to third base with the bases loaded in the eighth.

“The first time, he jammed me inside,” Knight said. “The next time, I looked for a fastball away and I went with the pitch.”

The Orioles trailed, 10-8, going into the eighth but forged ahead with three runs, two of them on Eddie Murray’s double. Julio Franco doubled in the tying run in the bottom of the inning.

Boston 3, Toronto 0--Bruce Hurst pitched a two-hitter and didn’t permit a runner to reach second base at Boston as the Red Sox, losers of three in a row on the road, opened their home season.

Hurst, who won an AL Championship Series game and two more in the World Series, gave up a single to right by Garth Iorg in the third and a blooper to shallow right by Tony Fernandez in the sixth.

Jim Rice and Marc Sullivan hit home runs off loser Dave Stieb.

Detroit 11, Chicago 4--Matt Nokes hit a two-run home run, and Darrell Evans hit a three-run home run in the fourth to mar the White Sox home opener.

Frank Tanana, who had a 10.64 ERA in spring training, gave up 4 hits and only 2 earned runs before needing help in the eighth.

“After 2,700 innings, you don’t let a bad spring bother you,” Tanana said.

Minnesota 8, Seattle 1--Randy Bush, Kirby Puckett and Gary Gaetti hit home runs, and Mike Smithson pitched a five-hitter through eight innings as the Twins stayed unbeaten while spoiling the home opener of the Mariners.

A crowd of 38,122 watched the Mariners lose for the third time in four games. The Twins are 4-0.