American League Roundup : Yankees Stay Close to Brewers, 8-2

The Milwaukee Brewers may be the talk of baseball, but the New York Yankees are playing pretty well, too.

Don Mattingly, Mike Pagliarulo and Claudell Washington hit two-run homers, Rick Rhoden pitched another strong game and the defense made two key plays Monday night as the Yankees won for the seventh straight time, beating the Detroit Tigers, 8-2, at New York.

The Yankees are off to their best start at home since 1951, when they won their first 11 games at Yankee Stadium. Their current winning streak is their longest since September, 1985, and has enabled them to keep close to Milwaukee, which has won its first 13 games.

“We know we’ve got a good club. We know we can do a lot of things,” said Mattingly, who celebrated his 26th birthday by homering in the first inning off Jack Morris.

The Yankees pounded Morris (1-2) for eight runs on 10 hits in 7 innings, beating him for the second time this season.

“In the past, we played .500 ball and then tried to win it in the second half,” Mattingly said. “Good teams win early and often. These are important games now.”

Washington, playing in place of center fielder Rickey Henderson, whose leg is bothering him, homered and ran down a long fly ball in center field by Tom Brookens in the third inning.

Dave Winfield made an even better catch to end the eighth with two runners on base and New York ahead, 4-1. He robbed Darnell Coles of extra bases with a running, leaping grab on the warning track.

Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson did not see Winfield’s catch in person, having been ejected in the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Tim Welke.

“Washington and Winfield made two great plays. Those balls are home runs in any other ball park,” Anderson said.

Kansas City 10, Boston 2--At Boston, Danny Tartabull, Larry Owen and Frank White hit their first homers of the season, and Bret Saberhagen earned a third straight victory for the first time since 1985 as the Royals spoiled the 75th anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park.

Tartabull, Kevin Seitzer, Hal McRae, Bo Jackson and Angel Salazar had two hits apiece as Kansas City ended a three-game losing streak with a 13-hit attack against Bruce Hurst (2-1) and reliever Steve Crawford.

Every batter in Kansas City’s starting lineup had at least one hit except Steve Balboni.

Saberhagen struggled in the first three innings before settling down and improving his record to 3-0. He allowed seven singles, including three by Wade Boggs and two by Don Baylor, before giving way to Dan Quisenberry to start the ninth.

“Saberhagen looks like the same tough pitcher he was two years ago,” Boston Manager John McNamara said of the 1985 Cy Young Award winner. “We had chances to get to him early, but then he got tougher. He threw strikes and he was impressive.”

Said Saberhagen: “I felt good and I threw some strikes. When you’re team cuts loose, it makes it so much easier.”

In 1985, Saberhagen won 20 games and helped lead the Royals to victory in the World Series. Last season, however, he was plagued by injuries and slipped to a 7-12 record.

“I never got things going last year from day one in spring training,” the 23-year-old right-hander said. “I’m healthy now and I plan on staying healthy.”

Minnesota 13, Seattle 5--Gary Gaetti and Roy Smalley capped a six-run first inning with consecutive home runs at Minneapolis as the Twins remained unbeaten at home.

Minnesota starter Mike Smithson allowed eight hits in seven innings, lifting his record to 3-0 and helping the Twins, 9-4, to a 4-0 home record. Joe Klink pitched the final two innings, giving up a solo homer to Seattle’s Ken Phelps in the eighth.

Seattle starter Mike Morgan (0-2) didn’t retire any of the six batters he faced as the Twins sent 10 men to the plate in the first.

Toronto 8, Cleveland 7--Kelly Gruber singled with one out in the 10th inning to score Rance Mulliniks from third base as the Blue Jays edged the Indians at Cleveland.

Mulliniks drew a one-out walk off Doug Jones (0-1) and went to third on Ernie Whitt’s single down the right-field line. Gruber followed with a single to center that made a winner of Jeff Musselman (1-0).