American League Roundup : Royals Are Making a Move and So Is Tartabull

The presence of Bo Jackson has made it much easier for Danny Tartabull to make his debut with the Kansas City Royals.

While every move the former Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn made was being reported in detail, Tartabull’s slow start went almost unnoticed.

Through the first month, Tartabull, obtained from Seattle where he hit 25 home runs and drove in 96 runs as a rookie, wasn’t hitting home runs or driving in runs. The Royals had counted on the 24-year-old outfielder-infielder to provide much needed punch.

It is no coincidence that when Tartabull started to hit with authority, the Royals surged to the top of the American League West.

Tartabull hit a two-run homer in the second inning Sunday at Arlington, Tex., to send the Royals on their way to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

The Royals have won 9 of their last 12 games and Tartabull, benched for weak hitting for the two games before the spurt began, has provided the game-winning hit in five of the victories.

Until the streak, Tartabull was batting just .272, had hit only two homers, and drove in only nine runs in the Royals’ 15-13 start.

In addition to batting .422 (19 for 45) in the last 12 games, Tartabull has hit 5 home runs and driven in 13 runs. He has keyed a much-improved offense.

“I think I was pressing because I was so happy to come to a contender,” Tartabull said. “The way I started I know people were saying that I couldn’t hit home runs anywhere but the Kingdome. I knew I had the power to hit them anywhere. I just had to be patient.

“Now, I’m seeing the ball well and I’m waiting on the pitch.

“It also helps that there’s not real pressure on any of us. If Bo doesn’t hit, Steve (Balboni), Kevin (Seitzer) or myself comes through. And, don’t forget, we’ll be even better when George Brett returns.”

Seitzer had a two-run single in the seventh to increase the Royals’ lead to 5-2.

Jerry Don Gleaton gained his first victory of the season, taking over for Mark Gubicza in the fifth and holding the Rangers to one hit in 3 innings. Dan Quisenberry retired the last four batters to pick up his fifth save.

In an oddity, Buddy Biancalana had his first three-hit game for the Royals, but didn’t score a run or drive on in.

Baltimore 4, Oakland 3--The A’s hit the long ball in this game at Oakland, but the Orioles won the game on a sacrifice fly by Ken Gerhart in the seventh inning that became a double play.

Mark McGwire hit his league-leading 16th home run, and Mike Davis and Carney Lansford also homered for the A’s. The trouble is, they all came with the bases empty.

The Orioles, who had hit 38 homers in 14 games before failing to hit one Saturday, had one homer, by Ray Knight.

With the score tied, 3-3, Knight on third and Terry Kennedy on first in the seventh, Gerhart hit a deep drive to left that appeared to be going out. But Jose Canseco leaped high and speared it. Knight tagged up and scored, but Kennedy loafed going back to first and was doubled up to end the inning.

Detroit 7, Minnesota 2--Manager Sparky Anderson likes the looks of rookie right-hander Jeff Robinson (3-2).

“Nothing scares him. He’s a real tough kid,” Anderson said. “You show me a kid without fear and you’ve probably got a winner.”

Robinson gave up yielded five hits in eight innings at Minneapolis to gain the victory. He gave up an unearned run in the second and Kent Hrbek’s eighth homer in the eighth.

The Tigers scored five times in the seventh for their ninth win in 11 games.

Cleveland 5, Milwaukee 3--Ted Higuera struck out nine at Milwaukee and shut out the Indians in eight of the nine innings.

But, in the fifth inning, Julio Franco’s double with the bases loaded keyed a five-run rally that dropped the left-hander’s record to 4-4.

Chicago 4, Boston 1--Ken Williams ripped an RBI double and Harold Baines followed with a two-run single in the 10th inning to give the White Sox a sweep of their three-game series at Boston.

Baines singled in the tying run for the White Sox in the sixth inning. Jim Rice singled in the Boston run in the fourth.

Bob Stanley (2-6) held the White Sox to just one run in nine innings before losing. He deserved a better fate. In both the seventh and eighth inning the Red Sox blew scoring chances because of their inability to sacrifice.

The Red Sox have lost eight of their last 10 and are deep in a batting slump.

Seattle 5, Toronto 2--Mark Langston struck out 14 and gave up only four hits at Seattle in winning his fifth game against four defeats.

Mike Kingery ignited a four-run fifth inning with a two-run triple to start the Mariners on their way to just their fourth win in the last 11 games. Dave Valle also drove in two runs with a pair of singles.

Langston took over the strikeout lead in the league with 79, three more than Milwaukee’s Higuera.

Dave Stieb held the Mariners hitless for four innings before being chased in the fifth.