American League Roundup : Higuera Pitches a One-Hitter as Brewers Get Past Royals, 2-0

Ted Higuera has mirrored the Milwaukee Brewers’ unusual season.

When the Brewers opened the season with a record-breaking 13 victories in a row, Higuera won four in a row. When the Brewers followed that start with a tailspin, Higuera lost five in a row.

Now that the Brewers are hot again, Higuera is sizzling.

The left-hander from Mexico lost a no-hitter when Ross Jones blooped a triple down the left-field line with two out in the eighth inning at Kansas City Tuesday night, but he finished with a one-hitter and a 2-0 victory.

When Higuera (14-9) lost his no-hitter, it was a scoreless duel with Bret Saberhagen. But Rob Deer, who missed catching Jones’ blooper, ended an 0-for-20 slump with a run-scoring single in the ninth inning to drive in the winning run.

It was the second consecutive shutout for Higuera, a 20-game winner last season. Higuera wasn’t thinking no-hitter or much of anything when he went out to the mound in the first inning. He was worried about trying to get a victory in spite of the flu symptoms he had. His head ached and he had the chills.

“I just wanted to win and get it over with,” Higuera said. “I was not feeling good all day. I had a fever and a headache. But we are thinking pennant and nobody takes time off.”

Higuera retired the first 15 batters and had little trouble until Jones broke his bat on an inside fastball that he looped into left.

“I had a good swing,” Jones, a .213 hitter, said. “You’ve got to have an awful lot of luck to pitch a no-hitter. He threw a fantastic game. I don’t mind being the one to break up the no-hitter, though.”

Jones’ hit ended a streak of 11 hitless innings for Higuera. Higuera, who does not speak or understand English very well, had teammate Juan Nieves as an interperter. Early in the season, Nieves pitched a no-hitter.

Saberhagen (16-8) had a three-hit shutout until the ninth when Robin Yount opened the ninth with a single and eventually gave up hits to Deer and Ernest Riles.

Boston 9, Minnesota 0--Jeff Sellers didn’t exactly stop hot-hitting Kirby Puckett at Minnesota, but he certainly slowed him down.

Puckett, who had 10 hits, four of them home runs, in the Twins’ two previous games, had two singles and missed by a hit of tying the record for hits in three consecutive games.

Sellers (6-6) gave up only three other hits and struck out seven in pitching his third complete game.

He had all the help he needed in the third inning when Wade Boggs hit a two-run home run, his 22nd of the season and his 13th game-winning run batted in. Mike Greenwell hit his 16th one out later.

The defeat, only the Twins’ 21st defeat in 64 home games, cut their lead in the West to just a half-game over Oakland.

Oakland 8, New York 3--Just when Manager Lou Piniella thought the Yankee pitching problems were solved, Charles Hudson showed him they weren’t in this game at New York.

Hudson (9-5) lasted only until two were out in the third inning. He gave up three hits, five walks and five runs. One of the hits was a two-run home run by Dwayne Murphy.

Jose Canseco hit his 28th home run, in the fifth off Pat Clements, and the Athletics moved close to the lead in the West.

Given the big early lead, Steve Ontiveros improved his record to 8-6. He needed help in the seventh but gave up just four hits and one earned run.

The home run was only Murphy’s third of the season, but he isn’t concerned.

“I just want to contribute,” he said. “Besides, I have been hitting the ball pretty good lately. (Dave) Winfield robbed me of a home run in Oakland last week and (Dan) Pasqua robbed me of one tonight.”

His first bid for a homer resulted in a sacrifice fly. Pasqua leaped into the left-field stands to grab Murphy’s long drive.

Detroit 6, Cleveland 5--It was only a bloop double, but Pat Sheridan was in a position where anything looked good. Sheridan, who was in an 0-for-25 slump, hit the blooper with two out in the 12th inning at Detroit to drive in Darrell Evans from first base and keep the Tigers a game in front in the East.

Evans, who hit his 26th home run earlier and singled in the tying run in the ninth inning, opened the 12th with a single off Don Gordon. He was still there two outs later, but when Sheridan’s blow skipped past left fielder Cory Snyder, Evans came all the way home.

Willie Hernandez had to get only two outs in the top of the 12th to gain the victory.

Seattle 5, Baltimore 0--Scott Bankhead (8-8) held the Orioles to two hits in seven innings at Baltimore to end his four-game losing streak and end the Mariners’ three-game losing streak.

Ken Phelps hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning for his 22nd home run in 272 at-bats this season.

Bill Wilkinson replaced Bankhead in the eighth and gave up one hit in the last two innings.

Texas 6, Chicago 4--Pete Incaviglia doubled home Pete O’Brien to break a 2-2 tie in the seventh at Arlington, Tex., then hit a two-run homer in the eighth to clinch the victory.

Jose Guzman (11-11) improved his record to 3-0 against the White Sox. He had given up only five hits and two runs before the White Sox rallied to knock him out in the ninth.