American League Roundup : Welch (8-2) Turns On Juice and A’s Win, 8-1

After four starts this season, Bob Welch was 1-2. In 23 innings, he had given up 28 hits and 20 runs. The Oakland Athletics were wondering if they made a mistake when they sent shortstop Alfredo Griffin to the Dodgers for the veteran right-hander.

But Welch has since become the ace of the staff.

In winning his seventh in a row, Welch held the Baltimore Orioles to three hits and an unearned run in eight innings Wednesday at Oakland as the Athletics won, 8-1.

Welch, in his last seven starts, has not given up more than three runs in any outing. With the power of the Athletics, that kind of pitching will bring one victory after another.

Dave Parker and Dave Henderson hit home runs to make Welch’s task easier. Welch blamed himself for letting the shutout get away.

“We put eight (runs) on the board. That’s a good feeling,” Welch said. “We made some good plays on defense, too. I messed up on the one at first that gave them a run.”

Welch was covering first when shortstop Walt Weiss tried to complete a double play in the fifth inning. The error went to Weiss, but Welch said, “It should have been charged to me.” With two out, Rick Schu’s single drove in the Orioles’ only run.

“Bob’s last three starts have been real quality ones,” catcher Ron Hassey said. “The first time, the location on his fastball improved. The second time he had a better curve, and this time it was a combination of both. Now we’re starting to see the Bob Welch we all expected to see.”

The A’s Carney Lansford was 1 for 4 and fell below .400. However, the hit, a double in the four-run sixth inning rally, gave him a 12-game hitting streak.

Parker’s home run was his sixth. In his last 12 games, he has 4 home runs and has driven in 13 runs.

Detroit 4, Milwaukee 3--The Brewers made the most of their one hit at Detroit, but they still couldn’t win. Greg Brock had the only hit off Jeff Robinson, with two out in the sixth inning, but it was a three-run home run.

It cut the Tigers’ lead to one run, but Guillermo Hernandez pitched 3 scoreless innings to save Robinson’s fifth victory.

Hernandez came to the rescue after Robinson, who walked two batters before Brock’s third homer, issued his third walk of the inning and seventh in 5 innings.

The win ended the Tigers’ six-game home losing streak.

Minnesota 4, Kansas City 2--Bert Blyleven is upset because the Twins haven’t offered him a guaranteed contract for next season. But when he sees the Royals, the veteran right-hander forgets his problems.

Although he gave up 10 hits in 7 innings at Kansas City, Blyleven beat the Royals for the 28th time.

Dan Gladden tripled, doubled and singled and scored two runs as the Twins won their fifth game in a row on the road.

Cleveland 5, Chicago 2--John Farrell has the misfortune of pitching behind Greg Swindell. Farrell, a 25-year-old right-hander, is having a solid season himself.

In improving his record to 5-3 in this game at Chicago, Farrell pitched a five-hitter and his fourth complete game. He was 5-1 after joining the Indians late last season.

Cory Snyder drove in two runs with a double and a single. The Indians jumped in front, 3-0, in the first inning.

Texas 5, Toronto 1--Geno Petralli went 3 for 3 and drove in three runs at Arlington, Tex., to help Jeff Russell improve his record to 3-0.

Russell, making only his second start, had a string in the middle innings in which he retired 13 batters in a row.

Dale Mohorcic bailed out Russell with the bases loaded in the eighth and went on to earn his fourth save.

Boston 4, Seattle 0--In the first two games of the series at Seattle, the Mariners clubbed the Red Sox for 28 runs and 32 hits.

But then they faced Roger Clemens, who pitched a four-hitter for his fifth shutout of the season to improve his record to 7-2.

Clemens and Mark Langston were scoreless until the seventh when Spike Owen hit his third home run of the season, a drive that hit the left field foul pole just above the fence.

In the eighth, Wade Boggs walked and Dwight Evans homered.

Only one Mariner, Mickey Brantley, reached second against Clemens and he did it twice. In the second and seventh innings, he singled and stole second.