American League Roundup : Boyd Returns With a 5-2 Victory

Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd allowed two runs and five hits in his 1987 debut Monday night, and Wade Boggs extended his hitting streak to 23 games, helping the Boston Red Sox to a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in a game called after seven innings because of rain.

Boyd, who had a career-high 16 victories last year, yielded single runs in the second and fourth innings at Boston, but was in command most of the way in his first home appearance since Game 3 of the World Series last October.

The slim right-hander threw 82 pitches over seven innings in an impressive return from the disabled list. Except for three rehabilitation starts in the minors, he had not pitched since a Florida exhibition game on March 25 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Boyd struck out two and didn’t walk a batter before giving way to Calvin Schiraldi. Schiraldi threw three pitches in the eighth when it started to rain. After a 61-minute delay, the game was called.

“I threw the ball real fluid,” Boyd said. “I’m very pleased. My velocity was fair and my control was pretty good. I went to three balls on only three guys and didn’t walk any of them. But, heck, control is my bread and butter.”

Boyd said he was “very relaxed,” but admitted he “got a little hot when the first two batters (Paul Molitor and Robin Yount) started the game with singles.”

“A couple of the guys yelled to me, though, and I settled down,” Boyd said. “Cecil Cooper hit the ball pretty hard, but Marty Barrett grabbed it and started a double play that helped. Then, I struck out the next guy (Rob Deer) and I felt OK.”

Boggs raised his average to .380 with two singles, his 25th multi-hit game of the season. He also walked and scored a run in a three-run third inning and received an intentional walk in the seventh.

Milwaukee scored a run in the second on B.J. Surhoff’s bloop double to left and a fielding error by second baseman Barrett on Billy Jo Robidoux’s grounder.

With left-hander John Henry Johnson making only his second major league start since 1984, the Red Sox tied the score in the second inning on Don Baylor’s 13th home run.

Boston shelled Johnson (0-1) in the third. Barrett singled and came around on two walks and a hit batsman. Dwight Evans drove in the second run with a single off Jay Aldrich’s leg and the other run scored on a double play grounder.

Milwaukee scored a run on two singles and a force play in the fourth. Boyd then retired the next 10 batters before giving way to Schiraldi.

Oakland 4, Kansas City 1--At Oakland, Steve Ontiveros and Jay Howell combined on a four-hitter, and Reggie Jackson hit his 556th career home run, helping the Athletics snap Bret Saberhagen’s six-game winning streak.

The Athletics handed Saberhagen (12-2) his first loss since May 14. Saberhagen pitched 7 innings, allowing nine hits and three runs. Dan Quisenberry relieved and was greeted by Tony Phillips’ eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot.

Jackson led off the Oakland second by sending a 3-and-2 pitch over the center-field fence for his eighth home run of the season. The blast, Jackson’s fourth in his last 13 games, tied the score, 1-1. Jackson is sixth on the all-time home run list.

Detroit 2, Toronto 0--Alan Trammell belted a home run to open a two-run fourth inning, and Frank Tanana scattered five hits for his first shutout of the season to pace the Tigers at Detroit.

Trammell lined a 2-0 pitch by Jim Clancy (7-5) over the left-field fence for his ninth home run in 26 games and 12th of the season. Clancy is 0-3 with three no-decisions in his last six starts.

Tanana (7-3) walked two and struck out five in helping Detroit beat Toronto for the third time in four meetings this season. The third-place Tigers moved within four games of first place in the American League East.

Matt Nokes followed Trammell’s home run with a triple that bounced off the wall in left-center, and Pat Sheridan hit a sacrifice fly to center to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

New York 7, Baltimore 3--Claudell Washington hit a two-run homer, and Willie Randolph keyed a five-run seventh inning with a two-run double to help the Yankees to a 7-3 win at Baltimore.

New York sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh to erase a 3-2 deficit. Dave Winfield contributed to the surge with a two-run single.

Dennis Rasmussen (6-4) scattered five hits over 6 innings. Cecilio Guante finished for the Yankees.

Mike Boddicker held the Yankees hitless until Mark Salas singled with two out in the fourth inning. Boddicker struck out seven before leaving the game in the seventh after complaining of stiffness. Luis DeLeon (0-1) relieved and took the loss. Baltimore has dropped seven of its last eight games and 17 of its last 19.

Seattle 3, Chicago 0--Mike Moore pitched a seven-hitter for 8 innings, but Seattle Manager Dick Williams also was praising catcher Scott Bradley.

“Scott called a terrific game,” Williams said after the Mariners beat the White Sox at Chicago. “Scott was moving around behind the plate. He was talking to him (Moore) between innings, encouraging him.”

It was the sixth victory in the last seven games for the Mariners, who moved to within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Minnesota Twins in the American League West. The loss was Chicago’s 18th in its last 22 games.