American League Roundup : Alexander Hurls Shutout to Give Tigers a Sweep of Orioles

Manager Sparky Anderson and his Detroit Tigers had learned to hate doubleheaders. In the only two they had played this season, they had not only lost all four games, they had been outscored, 40-15.

That was BA----Before Alexander (Doyle).

With the veteran right-hander pitching a shutout in the nightcap, the Tigers swept a doubleheader from the Orioles Wednesday night at Baltimore, 7-4 and 6-0.

The two wins boosted the Tiger’s lead in the American League East to 1 1/2 games over Toronto and 6 1/2 over the third-place New York Yankees.

It was the sixth start for Alexander since he was obtained from Atlanta in mid-August. His second complete game, a six-hitter, gave him a 5-0 record. The Tigers also won his other start.

With the Braves in the first three-quarters of the season Alexander, 37, was 5-10 with the Braves and had an earned-run average of 4.13.

He has pitched 46 innings for the Tigers, giving up 32 hits, 9 runs, all earned, and has 22 strikeouts and 8 walks. His ERA is 1.75.

“One of the reasons we wanted Doyle,” Anderson said, “is that he pitches well late in the season.”

It may be one of the few times Anderson has been guilty of an understatement.

In the opener Bill Madlock and Matt Nokes each hit two-run home runs and Walt Terrell (13-10) ended a seven-game road losing streak with just his second win in 10 decisions away from Tiger Stadium.

Terrell needed help in the seventh after six strong innings. Ken Dixon (7-9) threw only 19 pitches and didn’t retire a batter as the Tigers scored four times in the first inning.

Scott Lusader’s two-run triple highlighted a five-run fourth inning rally that gave Alexander a cushion. In his six starts the Tigers have scored 45 runs.

Milwaukee 6, Toronto 4--Manager Jimy Williams doesn’t want to pitch Tom Henke, his top reliever, for more than two innings. It probably cost the Blue Jays this game at Milwaukee.

Duane Ward and David Wells couldn’t hold a 4-2 lead and the Brewers scored four times in the seventh to pull it out. Henke came to the rescue too late, giving up B. J. Surhoff’s two-out, two-run single.

Jim Clancy had 10 strikeouts in six innings for Toronto.

Boston 5, New York 3--Although he patched up his quarrel with Owner George Steinbrenner, these are not happy days for Yankee Manager Lou Piniella.

He is really upset with Umpire Larry McCoy. According to Piniella, the umpire called a three-run home run by Mike Easler a foul ball Tuesday night when everyone else in Fenway Park knew it was fair. The Yankees lost.

In this game, McCoy ran Piniella in the sixth inning when the manager got too vocal in arguing a play at first.

With Roger Clemens (16-8) pitching a six-hitter and Jim Rice and Todd Benzinger hitting home runs, the Yankees lost again and are almost out of the race in the East.

Oakland 11, Texas 7--After Carney Lansford drove in four runs with a triple and double at Oakland, former Dodger Steve Howe nearly started a free-for-all when he hit the Athletics’ third baseman in the back with a pitch in the eighth.

Athletics’ Manager Tony LaRussa had to be restrained when he tried to get at Howe and was ejected from the game.

Although he didn’t make it through the fifth inning, Storm Davis, in his first start for Oakland, struck out seven batters in 4 innings.

Minnesota 2, Chicago 1--The Athletics failed to cut into the Twins’ three-game lead in the West, because Tim Laudner led off the bottom of the ninth at Minneapolis with a 428-foot home run.

It gave Frank Viola his 15th victory. Viola pitched a six-hitter and struck out nine for his eighth win in a row at home.

The other Minnesota run was Kirby Puckett’s 24th home run.

Seattle 9, Cleveland 4--Mickey Brantley and both Bradleys, Phil and Scott, each had three hits at Cleveland to make sure Mike Moore’s losing streak on the road ended at seven games.