American League Roundup : Lansford Provides Some Calm for Storming A’s Against Red Sox, 12-7

Carney Lansford quietly goes about the business of being the leader as the Oakland Athletics make themselves at home throughout the American League.

On a team loaded with young stars, it is the 31-year-old third baseman who is the calming influence.

While Lansford talks softly, his bat is loud.

Lansford had three hits and scored three times Tuesday night at Boston as the A’s improved their road record to 18-4 with a 12-7 pounding of the Red Sox.

The Athletics have won 22 of their last 26 games to take a solid grip on first place in the West.

Mark McGwire hit his 11th home run, and Steve Ontiveros took advantage of a 16-hit attack to improve his record to 2-1. Given a 7-0 cushion, Ontiveros got the victory despite yielding 12 hits and 5 runs in 6 innings.

Lansford, who won the league batting title in 1981 when he was with the Red Sox, still loves to hit in Fenway Park.

In the two games here, Lansford has gone 7 for 10 and has raised his average to .381. He leads the league in hits with 61 in 37 games and has scored 34 runs to be among the leaders.

A career .292 hitter, Lansford is generally overlooked because of teammates such as McGwire, Jose Canseco and Dave Parker.

“He may be overlooked,” Manager Tony LaRussa said, “but believe me, every team in the league respects him. We certainly appreciate him. We know what he means to this club.”

Lansford likes it that way. “I just kind of like to lay in the weeds and do my job,” he said.

Seattle 6, New York 2--Billy Swift picked the leaders of the East on their home field for the best game he ever pitched.

It didn’t look as though he was going to be around long at Yankee Stadium. He walked the first batter he faced, and Don Mattingly followed with a home run.

Swift gave up only two more hits and no more runs. The 26-year-old former Maine star, who pitched for the U.S. Olympic team, improved his record to 3-1.

Seattle pitching coach Billy Connors is Swift’s biggest booster. He said the right-hander cleared a big hurdle when he retired Mattingly in the clutch in the eighth inning.

“To be in as deep as 90-plus pitches and have to get a hitter like Mattingly out, well that’s a feat,” Connors said.

The Mariners beat Richard Dotson, who had won his first five decisions. Dotson was given shabby treatment by his teammates. In 6 innings, he gave up all 6 runs, but only 2 were earned. Throwing errors by Mattingly, third baseman Mike Pagliarulo and second baseman Willie Randolph helped the Mariners score four unearned runs.

Ken Phelps and Scott Bradley hit home runs for the Mariners.

Detroit 8, Milwaukee 4--At Milwaukee, rookie Paul Gibson allowed seven hits in seven innings in his first major league start.

Gibson was given the start when Jeff Robinson, scheduled to face the Brewers, couldn’t pitch because of a stiff neck.

Gibson’s one bad moment came in the bottom of the first inning, when Paul Molitor stole home.

But after that, the Tigers, with Luis Salazar and Chet Lemon each hitting home runs, were in command.

Cleveland 6, Chicago 2--Rich Yett and Doug Jones combined on a six-hitter, and Andy Allanson hit a three-run home run as the Indians returned home and won. Their sixth victory in the last seven games moved the Indians within 1 1/2 games of first place in the East.

Yett (3-2) gave up 5 hits in 6 innings. The runs came on home runs by Darryl Boston and Dan Pasqua. Jones took over after Pasqua’s homer and earned his sixth save with another fine performance.

The Indians had only a 3-2 lead until the eighth, when Mel Hall singled and reached second base with two out. Cory Snyder was given an intentional walk, and Allanson hit his second home run of the season.

Minnesota 6, Kansas City 5--Gene Larkin singled home the tying run with two out in the ninth at Minneapolis, and when center fielder Willie Wilson fielded the ball and made a wild throw to third, the winning run scored.

Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek singled off Gene Garber to open the inning. Garber struck out Gary Gaetti and Randy Bush before Larkin lined an 0-2 pitch into center. Puckett scored from second, and Hrbek came all the way home from first on the throw by Wilson.

Juan Berenguer got the victory, although he gave up a double to Wilson and a single to George Brett that gave the Royals a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth.

Puckett’s fourth-inning double extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He has hit safely in 26 of the last 27 games and has had at least two hits in each of the last eight games.

Texas 7, Toronto 6--Mark Eichhorn walked Oddibe McDowell with the bases loaded in the 14th inning at Toronto to force in the go-ahead run.

But the Rangers also needed another run, on Scott Fletcher’s sacrifice fly, because the Blue Jays came back with a run in the bottom of the 14th, on Rance Mulliniks’ double, before the 5-hour 20-minute game ended.

Pete Incaviglia’s force-out drove in a go-ahead run for the Rangers in the 12th, but the Blue Jays, who had rallied to tie the score with two runs in the ninth, tied it again in the bottom of the 12th.