American League Roundup : Ramos Provides Fizz for Mariners

The big games are few and far between for a utility infielder. But Domingo Ramos of the Seattle Mariners took the biggest game of his major league career in stride.

“I just got four hits, helped the ball club, and it feels good. (But) it’s not like I won at Wimbledon or something,” Ramos said after getting the first four-hit game of his career, including a two-run homer, as the Mariners shut out Cleveland, 7-0, Tuesday night on Mike Morgan’s seven-hitter.

Jim Presley drove in three runs with a homer and a double. The Mariners had 15 hits, but it was Ramos’ second home run of the season which attracted most of the attention.

Ramos, who hit an inside-the-park home run in the Kingdome earlier this season, Tuesday night hit a Rich Yett forkball for his first over-the-fence homer since 1985 in Yankee Stadium.

“I hit one over the left-field fence off a pitcher named Don Cooper that night. Billy Martin said, ‘You shouldn’t throw Latin ballplayers a fastball on the first pitch,’ ” Ramos said.

“They sent him (Cooper) down right after the ballgame, fined him a couple of hundred dollars or so, and that’s the last I heard of him. I don’t know what will happen to Rich tomorrow, but at least it wasn’t a fastball.”

Morgan (11-15) struck out two and walked three while tossing his seventh complete game and second shutout of the season. Yett, who gave up 6 runs on 8 hits in 4 innings, took the loss.

Milwaukee 6, Toronto 4--Juan Castillo, Robin Yount and B.J. Surhoff each drove in two runs for the Brewers at Milwaukee and Chris Bosio won his third straight game as the Blue Jays lost for the first time in six games.

Bosio (10-5) allowed seven hits and three runs in 6 innings. He was given a 3-0 lead in the second when the Brewers chased Toronto starter Dave Stieb (13-8). Stieb worked only 1 innings, his shortest stint in 28 starts, and is 0-3 against Milwaukee this season.

Castillo doubled home two runs in the second, bringing on reliever Jose Nunez, who gave up single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Brewers scored their final two runs in the seventh.

Ernie Whitt hit his 12th homer of the year for the Blue Jays.

Boston 8, New York 6--Todd Benzinger’s three-run homer after a two-out error snapped a 1-1 tie and led the Red Sox to victory in a rain-delayed game at Boston.

The game was held up for 2 hours 24 minutes with no outs in the bottom of the fourth. After play resumed, Benzinger connected with two outs in the inning.

With the score 7-1, rain again halted play in the top of the seventh. The game resumed 30 minutes later.

Boston starter Al Nipper continued pitching after the first delay but was replaced by Wes Gardner after the second one. Nipper improved his record to 9-11.

Texas 12, Oakland 1--Charlie Hough, despite four passed balls by catcher Geno Petralli, recorded his 15th victory and Larry Parrish drove in five runs with two homers for the Rangers at Oakland.

Hough (15-11) tossed a three-hitter for his 10th complete game, walking 4 and striking out 9. In three games against Oakland this season, Hough has an ERA of 0.36.

The A’s scored their only run without a hit. Luis Polonia walked to start the Oakland third, took second when Hough threw wildly past O’Brien on an attempted pickoff, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on one of Petralli’s four passed balls.

Chicago 4, Minnesota 3--Gary Redus, hitless in his previous three games and nine at-bats, had three hits, including a two-run home run in the seventh inning, to back the combined eight-hit pitching of Floyd Bannister and Bobby Thigpen at Minneapolis.

For the Twins, it was only their 23rd loss in 71 home games.

Bannister (12-10) won his fourth straight game as he fanned five and walked one in seven innings of work. Thigpen pitched shutout ball over the final two innings to earn his ninth save of the season.

Bert Blyleven (13-11) went the distance for Minnesota, giving up eight hits, including Redus’ 10th homer of the year. Ken Williams, who doubled to lead off the seventh, scored in front of Redus to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead.

In the ninth, the Twins loaded the bases with one out. But pinch-hitter Roy Smalley’s fly ball was caught by Williams, who threw out pinch-runner Al Newman at the plate to end the game.