American League Roundup : Murray’s Homer Beats Saberhagen as Orioles Boost Win Streak to 11

Even the winningest pitcher in the majors couldn’t stop the onrushing Baltimore Orioles.

Eddie Murray hit a home run off Bret Saberhagen with two out in the eighth inning Saturday night at Baltimore to give the Orioles a 4-3 victory over Kansas City and extend their winning streak to 11 games.

Murray’s 22nd home run prevented Saberhagen from getting his 16th victory. The 12th complete game for the young right-hander from Reseda was his fifth defeat. The home run was the eighth hit he gave up.

The home run was a line shot into the right-field bleachers. Saberhagen’s first loss of the season also came at Baltimore, when Terry Kennedy’s fly dropped into the first row.

“At least this wasn’t a 309-foot homer,” Saberhagen said. “I’m thinking, ‘Let’s get the third out in that situation,’ instead, it’s another game-winning home run. I felt it was a good pitch. But maybe he was looking for a change-up.”

The Orioles’ hot spell has come too late to put them into the pennant race in the East. Even though the New York Yankees are in a slump, the Orioles still trail the leader by 14 games.

The Royals, losers of 14 of their last 17, tied the game in the eighth inning when Bo Jackson opened it with a bunt single and completed the circuit on a single and a sacrifice fly.

Former Dodger Tom Niedenfuer, who got the victory in relief Friday night, struck out two of the three Royals he faced after Murray’s homer to get his fifth save.

The Orioles won the first two games of the series without scoring an earned run. They ended a string of 29 innings without an earned run against Kansas City pitching with one in the second inning.

Chicago 3, New York 2--Don Mattingly returned to the Yankee lineup at Chicago after missing three games because of a wrist injury, and had three hits. But they were all singles, and he couldn’t keep the Yankees from losing their fourth in a row.

Ivan Calderon’s double, Greg Walker’s bunt and Kenny Williams’ sacrifice fly to medium center drove in the winning run in the eighth inning.

The Yankees had 13 hits but scored only twice. Owner George Steinbrenner was among the spectators and undoubtedly wasn’t too impressed by his sluggers settling for 13 singles.

The Yankees did stop Harold Baines’ hitting streak at 18 games.

Oakland 13, Milwaukee 4--Jose Canseco hit his 21st home run and drove in four runs at Milwaukee, and Mark McGwire capped a five-run fourth with a two-run double.

The heavy hitting enabled Curt Young (10-5) to gain his first win since June 24 in his second start since coming off the disabled list.

Young struck out 6 and gave up 5 hits in 5 innings.

The Athletics pounded out 19 hits against three pitchers.

Minnesota 13, Toronto 9--Gary Gaetti hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning at Toronto and then singled in a seven-run sixth, the Twins’ biggest inning of the season.

There were 28 hits and 15 walks in the four-hour battle, with the losing Blue Jays getting 16 of the hits (including 3 home runs) and 6 of the walks. Because of rain delays, Friday night’s game lasted more than five hours.

Although he gave up 6 hits and 2 runs in 3 innings, Dan Schatzeder (2-0) was the beneficiary of the Twins’ big rally.

Boston 11, Seattle 5--The Red Sox put on display the player they expect will make Boston fans forget Bill Buckner, and they liked what they saw.

In his first major league start, Sam Horn hit a two-run home run to break a 5-5 tie in the fifth inning, and the fans immediately called for a “curtain call” from the new designated hitter. Horn was recalled from the minors when the Red Sox released Buckner Thursday.

In his first two at-bats, the 6-foot 6-inch slugger struck out and hit into a double play.

Boston catcher Rich Gedman hit his first home run of the season.

It was the eighth loss in the last 10 games for the Mariners, and Manager Dick Williams blamed it on his pitching.

Texas 7, Cleveland 3--Every time Charlie Hough takes the mound against the Indians, he has a feeling he will win.

Although it wasn’t one of his best performances, Hough (11-6) lasted into the seventh inning at Cleveland and beat the Indians for the 12th time in a row. He is 4-0 against the Indians this season and 15-4 in his career.

The 39-year-old knuckleballer gave up 6 hits, 4 walks and 3 runs before needing help with one out in the seventh.

“I didn’t have that good knuckleball,” Hough said. “A couple of bad pitches I made, they whacked. I wouldn’t say they hit me any better than they hit me in previous games.”

Pete Incaviglia and Steve Buechele each homered for the Rangers, and Oddibe McDowell had three hits.