American League Roundup : Trailing 7-0 in 7th Inning, Yankees Rally to Defeat Twins, 12-7

Joe Niekro did what he thought was best for the Minnesota Twins. It turned out to be better for the New York Yankees.

The 42-year-old knuckleballer, who was traded from New York to Minnesota exactly one month earlier, took a 7-0 lead and a four-hitter into the seventh inning against his former club Tuesday night but asked out after Mike Pagliarulo’s homer ruined his shutout bid.

“In the sixth inning, on a pitch to (Dave) Winfield I felt my shoulder give a little and I told TK (Manager Tom Kelly) to have somebody ready in the bullpen,” said Niekro, who injured his shoulder during a brawl with the Milwaukee Brewers last month. “When you’re trying to ward off an injury, you do the best thing for the club. In this case, it didn’t work out.”

That’s an understatement. The Yankees tied the game with seven runs in the seventh, scored the go-ahead run on consecutive wild pitches by Juan Berenguer in a five-run eighth and beat the Twins 12-7.

“That’s not a rally, that’s an explosion. That’s the quickest runs I’ve seen scored in a long time,” Yankee Manager Lou Piniella said, apparently forgetting an 11-run third inning against Boston on June 26 that wiped out a 9-0 deficit.

The Yankee seventh was highlighted by home runs from Pagliarulo and Rickey Henderson and pinch-hitter Gary Ward’s game-tying two-run single.

The eighth inning started when Rick Cerone drew a leadoff walk from Keith Atherton (4-4). After Wayne Tolleson sacrificed and Henderson walked, Berenguer took over and sailed two pitches over the head of catcher Tim Laudner, allowing Cerone to score. Don Mattingly drove in Henderson and Claudell Washington hit a three-run homer, his fifth.

Reliever Tim Stoddard (2-1) worked two scoreless innings as the Yankees ended Minnesota’s four-game winning streak.

Toronto 6, Texas 2--Tony Fernandez hit a two-run double, and the Blue Jays took advantage of sloppy fielding by the Rangers to post a victory at Toronto.

Blue Jay starter Jim Clancy (9-6) entered the eighth with a three-hitter, but Oddibe McDowell hit his 10th homer to make the score 6-2. Tom Henke pitched the final 1 innings for his 15th save.

Texas starter Mike Loynd (1-5) was the victim of poor fielding and his own wildness when the Blue Jays broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fifth inning.

After Fred McGriff led off with a single and moved to third on a single by Rick Leach, Garth Iorg hit a hard grounder to third baseman Larry Parrish.

Parrish threw to second baseman Curtis Wilkerson for the force, but when Wilkerson saw McGriff leaning off third, he ran him back to the bag. McGriff beat his throw, and Iorg ran to an uncovered second base. Fernandez followed with a two-run double and later scored on a wild pitch-third strike to Jesse Barfield.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 4--Joe Carter hit a two-run homer off reliever Dan Quisenberry with one out in the ninth inning to give the Indians a victory over the Royals at Cleveland.

Carter had tied the game, 4-4, with a two-run single off Quisenberry (4-1) in the seventh. Carter’s game-winning homer was his 18th, and reliever Doug Jones (2-1) pitched 2 hitless innings for the win.

After retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, Royal starter Mark Gubicza gave up singles to Tony Bernazard and Julio Franco and then threw a wild pitch, allowing the runners to advance a base. Quisenberry then gave up Carter’s two-run single.

Royal center fielder Willie Wilson was ejected in the third inning after he charged the pitcher’s mound, prompting a benches-clearing brawl.

With the score tied, 1-1, Wilson was knocked down by a tight pitch from Cleveland starter Ken Schrom. On the next pitch, Wilson flied out to center field. He raced to the mound after rounding first, and brought Schrom to the ground with a blind-side tackle.

Chicago 9, Baltimore 3--Carlton Fisk drove in four runs with a two-run homer and a double as the White Sox beat the Orioles at Baltimore.

Floyd Bannister (4-7) gave up three hits over seven innings and had a perfect game until Cal Ripken walked with two out in the fourth. Eddie Murray followed with his 17th homer, a club-record 139th homer at Memorial Stadium. He had been tied with former third baseman Brooks Robinson.

In the top of the fifth, Harold Baines hit his 11th homer, a two-run shot off reliever Doug Corbett. Baines is 11 for 22 in his last five games.

Greg Walker hit his 17th homer in the eighth to give Chicago a 6-2 lead and the White Sox added three runs in the ninth on Baines’ RBI single and Fisk’s two-run double off reliever Tom Niedenfuer.

Fisk, 9 for 18 in his last four games, hit his ninth homer, a two-run blast, in the second off Oriole rookie John Habyan (1-3).

Detroit 6, Oakland 4--Bill Madlock hit a two-run homer as the Tigers beat the A’s at Oakland, snapping the A’s three-game winning streak.

Lou Whitaker walked to lead off the game, and Madlock followed with a two-run homer off Joaquin Andujar (3-2). Frank Tanana (8-5) gave up seven hits over 6 innings for the win.

Seattle 9, Milwaukee 5--Dave Valle had a two-run homer in the first inning as the Mariners beat the Brewers at Seattle.

Lee Guetterman (7-1) pitched five innings but was replaced by Jerry Reed after yielding a two-run homer to Rob Deer that cut the Mariners’ lead to 6-5 with no outs in the sixth. Reed worked four innings for his second save.

Valle’s homer, his ninth, ignited a four-run Seattle rally against Milwaukee starter Juan Nieves (5-6).