American League Roundup : Mattingly Hits Slam in Yankees’ 7-Run Inning

The pregame celebration at Yankee Stadium Friday night was to honor first baseman Don Mattingly’s defense. He was awarded his second Gold Glove.

But it’s Mattingly’s bat that is worth its weight in gold these days.

Mattingly, who didn’t hit a grand slam in his first four seasons in the majors, hit his third bases-loaded home run this season to highlight a seven-run second inning that paced the Yankees to a 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

After a tough early season, Mattingly started to feel comfortable a few days ago, which means American League pitchers are getting uncomfortable.

In his last four games, the sweet-swinging left-handed hitter is 10 for 18. In those four games, he has hit 4 home runs, scored 7 runs and driven in 11 runs. In the last 16, he is 27 for 63 (.429) with 6 doubles, 6 home runs and 22 runs batted in. The streak started after returning from 18 days on the disabled list with a back problem.

In his last four times up with the bases loaded, Mattingly has hit three home runs and a single.

“I’m seeing the ball good and I’m getting good pitches to hit because I’m not swinging at the bad ones,” Mattingly said. “Basically, I’m swinging real easy and letting it come.”

The White Sox jumped to a 2-0 lead, but the Yankees tied it in the second on RBI singles by Rick Cerone (ending an 0-for-15 slump) and Rickey Henderson. With the bases loaded, Joel McKeon replaced Scott Nielsen and served up Mattingly’s 12th home run.

Just before the game, Mattingly warned his teammates that the big explosive innings that have characterized the Yankees this season could stop just as easily as they started.

It isn’t likely to happen the way Mattingly is hitting, though.

Toronto 7, Kansas City 0--On another night when hitters were dominant in most ballparks, it was a refreshing pitching performance that had Toronto fans happy.

Dave Stieb, who can give the Blue Jays a big lift by returning to his form of a few years ago, pitched a four-hit shutout.

It was the first complete game for the injury-plagued right-hander in his last 40 starts and improved his record to 7-5. The seven victories tied his entire victory output of last season.

The Royals are the easiest team to shut out. It was the 12th time they had been blanked this season, but Stieb impressed Manager Jimy Williams.

“The complete game wasn’t as important as how he threw,” Williams said. “He was throwing the same way all the time. It’s the best I’ve seen his slider in a long time.”

Stieb threw 130 pitches, 85 of them for strikes.

“My slide has been lost since 1985,” Stieb said. “But tonight, it was back. It had a sharp break. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when I throw properly, my elbow doesn’t hurt.”

It was the fifth win in a row for the Blue Jays and the fifth loss in a row for the Royals.

Baltimore 13, Minnesota 12--The wildest game of the night was at Baltimore, where nine pitchers gave up 27 hits, and the Orioles won it on a sacrifice fly in the ninth by Larry Sheets.

The Orioles even used Tom Niedenfuer, but after protecting a two-run lead for two innings, the ex-Dodger was chased when the Twins scored twice in the ninth to tie it.

But Eddie Murray, with his fourth hit of the night, started the winning rally that Sheets ended. One of Murray’s hits was his 19th home run. Fred Lynn hit two three-run home runs.

Texas 10, Cleveland 4--Greg Harris held the Indians to four hits and only one earned run in seven innings at Arlington, Tex., to end both his own and his team’s four-game losing streaks.

“I felt so strong in the first inning, I wanted to blow everyone down,” Harris said. “But Tom House (Rangers pitching coach) came out and settled me down after I walked two batters, and I was all right the rest of the way.”

Boston 7, Seattle 4--Dwight Evans hit his fifth home run in five games in the second inning at Seattle, then singled and scored the winning run in the ninth.

Wade Boggs hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox, his 16th home run of the season.

Oakland 7, Milwaukee 3--Dave Stewart lost a shutout in the ninth inning when Dale Sveum hit a three-run home run at Oakland, but the former Dodger right-hander improved his record to 11-7.

Until this season, Stewart had never won more than nine games in a season in the majors in nine years.

Carney Lansford homered for the A’s, who moved within two games of first place in the West.