American League Roundup : Lee Smith Applies Finishing Touch to Boston’s 6-3 Victory

There is a special feeling among Boston Red Sox pitchers, a feeling they didn’t have in recent years.

They look down in the bullpen and see the big stopper. They see hard-throwing Lee Smith, and they know everything is just fine.

With Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd apparently recovered from shoulder surgery and Smith throwing bullets, the Red Sox are looking more like a contender every day.

Boyd pitched his second consecutive strong game Wednesday at Boston, and Smith finished up in a 6-3 victory over the slumping Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers, who opened last season by winning 13 in a row, have lost 5 in a row and are 2-5.

Boyd, who was 1-3 with an earned-run average of 5.89 before undergoing surgery Aug. 21, doubled his output of last season. He left with two runners on and two out in the seventh. Wes Gardner gave up two runs, but he made it through the eighth unscathed, and Smith wrapped up the Red Sox’s fifth victory by striking out the side in the ninth.

Smith, the loser on opening day, has appeared in all five Boston victories. He earned the save in four of them. In the other, he pitched a scoreless ninth last Friday in Texas after Boyd pitched eight shutout innings of a 4-0 win in his first appearance of the season.

In six appearances, the former Chicago Cubs bullpen ace has pitched seven innings, giving up three hits and no earned runs and has struck out nine.

“With Lee around, we have a simple game plan,” Manager John McNamara said. “All we ask our starters to do is take us into the late innings. Then, we turn it over to Lee.”

Center fielder Ellis Burks, who had a bunt single to keep alive a four-run fifth inning, hit a two-run home run after a balk call on Milwaukee’s Dan Plesac.

“I was cheerleading when Ellis hit the home run,” Smith said. “I watched it go over the fence and that got my juices going a bit.”

New York 5, Toronto 1--Whatever became of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner’s plan to trade Dave Winfield. If he had succeeded, the Yankees might not be leading the American League East.

Winfield has hit safely in all eight games. His two hits in this game at Toronto helped the Yankees improve to 7-1 and marked the sixth consecutive game in which the big outfielder has had more than one hit.

Winfield, who leads the league with 12 runs batted in, is batting .517.

Richard Dotson faltered in the ninth after giving up just three hits and lost his shutout. With Dave Righetti’s help, he won his second in a row.

The Yankees jumped on Dave Stieb (0-2) for seven hits and five runs in the first inning.

Manager Billy Martin, who blamed an error by shortstop Rafael Santana for the only loss this season, benched Santana, who is batting .091.

Cleveland 6, Minnesota 3--Ron Kittle, in his first at-bat of the season, hit a two-run home run off Bert Blyleven at Cleveland to help the Indians win.

Kittle has a .364 average against Blyleven. He has 8 home runs in his last 22 times at-bat against Blyleven.

Despite Kittle, Blyleven departed after seven innings with a 3-2 lead. The Indians jumped on Juan Berenguer for four runs in the eighth to break it open.

Kansas City 9, Baltimore 3--Danny Tartabull drove in four runs with two doubles and two singles at Baltimore as the Royals handed the Orioles their eighth consecutive defeat.

The Royals pounded out 18 hits against the Orioles, who are 0-2 since Frank Robinson replaced Cal Ripken Sr. as manager.

Eddie Murray hit his first home run of the season for the Orioles.

Oakland 12, Seattle 7--Doug Jennings had four hits, including a two-run home run, and Jose Canseco also hit a two-run home run as the Athletics outlasted the Mariners at Seattle.

There were seven errors, five balks, a wild pitch and a passed ball. Rick Honeycutt of the A’s committed four balks to tie the league record.

Manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan of the A’s were ejected in the ninth protesting a balk on Honeycutt.