American League Roundup : Snyder Slams Door on Saberhagen’s Shot at His 15th Victory, 9-7

Kansas City Royals Manager Billy Gardner was trying to improve Bret Saberhagen’s chances to win 30 games in a season and to make the All-Star game July 14 by pitching him against the Cleveland Indians Monday night on only three days’ rest.

Unfortunately for Gardner, he did neither his team nor Saberhagen any good. Cory Snyder’s eighth-inning grand slam gave the Indians a 9-7 win at Kansas City, dropped the Royals a game behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League West and deprived Saberhagen of his 15th victory.

Saberhagen (14-3), who leads the majors in wins, would normally have pitched tonight and again Sunday, limiting his chances of starting the All-Star game the next Tuesday.

But Snyder, who hit a two-run homer in the second off Saberhagen, was having none of it when Gardner called for relief pitcher Steve Farr to intentionally walk Mel Hall, the hitter ahead of Snyder to load the bases with the Royals leading, 6-5.

“When they walk the guy in front of me, it tells me they think I’m not a very good hitter, that I’m going to hit a ground ball into a double play. It pumps me up,” Snyder said.

Gardner figured Snyder, who has 87 strikeouts this season, made a good candidate for the second out of the inning.

“Cleveland’s not going that well,” Saberhagen said after allowing 7 runs and 10 hits. “Fortunately they were playing against a lousy pitcher tonight. With anybody else pitching adequately we win that ball game hands down. I was lousy.”

Danny Tartabull hit a three-run homer to give Kansas City a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth. But Saberhagen allowed leadoff singles to Julio Franco and Joe Carter before being relieved by Farr.

Sammy Stewart (1-1) won despite allowing the home run to Tartabull, the first batter he faced in relief of Steve Carlton. Carlton struck out six, with Bo Jackson, his final victim, marking his 4,100th career strikeout. Jackson also hit his 18th homer.

Minnesota 2, New York 0--Tom Brunansky and Kent Hrbek homered and Frank Viola pitched a five-hitter, leading the Twins to a victory over the Yankees at New York.

Ron Guidry (1-4) gave up only three hits, but Brunansky’s home run, his 17th, in the first was enough to give the Twins their fourth consecutive victory. Hrbek hit his 23rd home run with two out in the seventh. Hrbek has homered in three straight games, 7 of 11 and has 20 homers in his last 44 games.

Viola (7-6) walked four and struck out seven in his first shutout of the season.

Baltimore 4, Chicago 1--Eddie Murray smashed his 16th home run and Alan Wiggins singled across the game-winning run to spark the Orioles to a victory over the White Sox at Baltimore, snapping the Orioles’ seven-game losing streak.

Wiggins hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie as Mike Griffin (1-2) outdueled Jose DeLeon (5-8). Griffin posted his first major league victory since Sept. 11, 1981, when he was with the Cubs. Mark Williamson pitched two perfect innings for his third save.

Before the game, Oriole owner Edward Bennett Williams met with his players privately. Williams declined to discuss his comments to the club, whose 30-51 record is the third worst in the major leagues.

After the game, the Orioles optioned veteran pitcher Scott McGregor to Rochester of the International League.

Toronto 6, Texas 4--George Bell and Ernie Whitt hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning, and Jimmy Key pitched a six-hitter for seven innings as the Blue Jays snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating the Rangers at Toronto.

Key (9-5) retired 12 straight Rangers after Pete Incaviglia’s bases-empty homer, his 17th, gave Texas a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Toronto scored four times off Charlie Hough (9-4) in the second inning. Hough, 39, failed in his attempt to become the Rangers’ all-time leader in victories with 94. He is tied at 93 with Ferguson Jenkins.

The Blue Jays pulled ahead, 6-1, in the third when Bell and Whitt connected for homers. It was the 28th for Bell and the sixth for Whitt.

Seattle 3, Milwaukee 2--Rey Quinones hit a two-run homer, and Mike Kingery’s bloop single drove in the go-ahead run as the Mariners beat the Brewers at Seattle.

The second-inning homer off Bill Wegman (7-8) was the eighth for Quinones, who hit only two in 98 games last season. Seattle starter Mike Morgan (7-9) allowed seven hits and two walks in six innings.

Oakland 5, Detroit 3--Tony Phillips’ two-out, two-run double broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning and carried the A’s to a victory over the Tigers at Oakland.

Phillips also doubled during a three-run seventh inning rally for the A’s, who came back from a 3-0 deficit. Mike Davis hit a two-run homer, his 18th, during the rally.