American League Roundup : Hassey, Replacing Injured Steinbach, Leads A’s to 12th Straight Victory

Even when something goes wrong, it turns out all right for the Oakland Athletics.

Just before Saturday’s game at Oakland against the Cleveland Indians, the Athletics put catcher Terry Steinbach on the disabled list. Steinbach suffered an eye injury when he was hit by a ball while warming up for Friday night’s game, which was rained out.

Steinbach’s replacement, Ron Hassey, banged out four hits, drove in two runs and scored two to lead the Athletics to a 14-3 victory over the slumping Indians. It was a club-record 12th consecutive victory for the Athletics, the runaway leaders of the American League West.

The A’s, 10-0 against the East, won 11 in a row in 1981. The fast start has given them a 22-7 record, the best in the majors.

Carney Lansford also had 4 hits in a 19-hit attack that included home runs by Mark McGwire and Dave Henderson. Oakland handed knuckleballer Tom Candiotti his first loss and the Indians their fourth in a row.

Hassey, 35, was signed as a free agent in December because the Athletics wanted a backup for Steinbach.

“I’m always ready, but I didn’t expect to start out with four hits,” Hassey said. “All I’m trying to do is look at the pitches--I mean take a good look at every pitch,” Hassey said. “I’m just trying to get ahead here and there, and trying not to get any 0-fers.”

Storm Davis (3-1) went five innings, departing with a 9-3 lead. Candiotti (4-1) was knocked out in the fourth inning after giving up nine hits and four runs.

“Seeing the A’s play right now reminds me when we were playing good a couple of weeks ago,” Candiotti said. “Every little ball hit off the end of the bat winds up a base hit. It seems like everything is going against us.”

McGwire’s seventh homer, after Lansford’s double in the first, and Henderson’s three-run blast in the seventh, his fourth home run, were not hit on the end of the bat.

“There have been a lot of good clubs in this franchise’s history,” A’s Manager Tony LaRussa said. “But those three clubs in the ‘70s (1972-74) did what every club tries to do, and the only mark I care about setting this year is the World Series. The payoff comes then, not in being team of the month.”

Minnesota 5, Boston 2--Neither the intentions nor the results were the same for the slumping Red Sox.

In the fourth inning and the score tied, 2-2, at Minneapolis, they intentionally walked Randy Bush and retired Greg Gagne to end the inning.

But, in the sixth, the Red Sox pitched to Bush, who doubled in the tiebreaking run, putting the Twins ahead to stay.

“The second time, we were trying to get him to go after a bad pitch,” catcher Rick Cerone said. “But he (pitcher Steve Ellsworth) made a mistake. He got a forkball up, and Bush hammered it.”

Bert Blyleven, who had gone 0-3 with an 8.31 earned-run average since winning the team’s home opener, pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits.

Texas 3, New York 2--It was not a very enjoyable 24 hours for Yankee Manager Billy Martin in Texas.

After being thrown out of the 7-6 loss to the Rangers Friday night, Martin suffered injuries when attacked in a topless nightclub.

Despite the injuries, he was in the dugout when Scott Fletcher’s fourth single of the game, with two out in the bottom of the ninth,drove in the winning run.

Jose Guzman held the Yankees to one hit through eight innings but didn’t even get a victory. After giving up two runs on a triple by Pete O’Brien, Tommy John pitched six scoreless innings to keep the Yankees in the game.

As often is the case in tight games this season, a balk was critical. With two on and two out, Cecelio Guante (2-1) was called for a balk. Fletcher’s single would not have scored Curtis Wilkerson from second, but he scored easily from third.

Milwaukee 4, Kansas City 2--Juan Nieves survived a rocky first inning at Kansas City, and the Brewers won their eighth in a row.

Five runs were scored in the first inning. The first of Robin Yount’s three hits triggered a three-run rally that beat Bret Saberhagen (4-3) and handed the Royals their fourth loss in a row--all at home.

Nieves (4-2) gave up two runs and three hits in the bottom of the first. He yielded only one hit in the next five. Then the bullpen took over.

Dan Plesac retired the side in order in the ninth to register his seventh save.

In the last three games, Brewer pitchers have yielded only three runs.

Saberhagen settled down after the first, too, but it was too late. He struck out nine.

Chicago 11, Baltimore 7--The Orioles built a 7-3 lead in the fourth inning at Baltimore, then succumbed to the White Sox power.

Ken Williams, Harold Baines and Carlton Fisk all hit two-run homers to lead the White Sox’s 18-hit attack.

Mike Morgan lasted until one was out in the fifth but escaped the loss. In his last four starts, Morgan has given up 25 hits and 19 runs in 10 innings.

It was the seventh home run of the season for the 40-year-old Fisk.

Seattle 7, Detroit 6--Mickey Brantley hit a two-run home run to cap a three-run seventh-inning rally that brought the Mariners from behind at Seattle.

The Tigers scored a run in the ninth and had the potential tying run on third when Bill Wilkinson got the final out.

Doyle Alexander, Tiger starter, made it through the sixth inning for the 36th consecutive time.