American League Roundup : Clark’s Homer Shows What Nearly Was in the Cards Last Season

Jack Clark, deprived of a chance to play in the Metrodome in the 1987 World Series, is making the most of his opportunity now.

Clark gave the New York Yankees an uphill 7-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Minneapolis’ indoor ballpark Wednesday night by hitting the first pitch of the 10th inning for his first American League home run.

The St. Louis Cardinals would have liked to have had Clark for last year’s World Series, but a leg injury kept him out of it as the Twins won all four games at home.

The Yankees signed Clark as a free agent during the off-season. He was injured in spring training and had just begun playing his role as the designated hitter when the team arrived in Minneapolis Monday.

Clark was in an 0-for-10 slump, eight of them strikeouts, but he immediately broke loose with three hits in an 18-5 rout of the Twins Monday night.

The Twins, in support of the Series’ most valuable player, pitcher Frank Viola, routed Tommy John early and held a 5-2 lead going into the sixth. Dave Winfield’s three-run homer tied the game. It was the fifth home run for Winfield, who leads the major leagues with 24 runs batted in.

Claudell Washington homered off Jeff Reardon in the top of the ninth to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead, but Gene Larkin singled home the tying run off Dave Righetti in the ninth.

Washington’s homer was the first run off Reardon this season. Clark’s, which landed in the upper deck in right, was the second and made Reardon a loser.

“I wish I could have played here in the World Series,” Clark said. “But I remember trying to hit here (in batting practice) and I just couldn’t go.

“It’s too bad, because I know I love to hit here. This is a hitter’s paradise.”

Cleveland 2, Texas 1--The Indians hadn’t beaten Charlie Hough in almost four years, and they didn’t really pound him in this one at Cleveland.

In fact, the Indians, whose 12-3 start is tied for the best in the majors, had only four hits. Hough, 16-5 in his career against the Indians, retired the first 12 batters.

But on the first pitch of the fifth inning, Joe Carter doubled. Mel Hall doubled in one run, and Jay Bell, with two out, singled in Hall with the winning run.

Hough had won 13 in a row from the Indians since losing on April 23, 1984. Tom Candiotti (3-0) won the battle of the knuckleball specialists. He gave up nine hits but struck out eight and gave up only the one run.

The Indians, who opened last season with a 1-10 start, only once before have had a more auspicious start. In 1966, they opened 13-1 but wound up 81-81.

Toronto 3, Kansas City 0--It was cold and rainy, and the start of the game at Toronto was delayed almost two hours, but Dave Stieb finally got his first victory after two defeats.

With the temperature at 39 degrees when he threw his first pitch, Stieb held the Royals to 5 hits in 6 innings. Dave Wells and Tom Henke finished off the Royals for the shutout.

The Blue Jays scored all of their runs in a second-inning rally that was a nightmare to Royal second baseman Brad Wellman. George Bell opened with a one-hopper that skidded past Wellman for a triple. Charlie Leibrandt (1-3) got the next two outs, but Juan Beniquez bounced an infield hit off Wellman to score Bell. Kelly Gruber singled, and Manny Lee’s grounder was misplayed for an error by Wellman. Then Tony Fernandez looped a single over shortstop, and two more runs scored.

Seattle 5, Chicago 4--Moves such as the one Dick Williams made in this game at Seattle make the Mariner manager look like a genius.

Hoping to shake up his offense, Williams shifted Henry Cotto from the leadoff spot to No. 3.

Cotto came up with a runner on in the sixth inning, hit a two-run home run, and the Mariners scored two more runs to get the win.

Mike Moore gave up eight hits, but he went the distance after a shaky start to raise his record to 2-1.