American League Roundup : Sheridan Parks a Pair of Homers as Tigers Rout Orioles, 12-4

Detroit’s Pat Sheridan thought he was in the right place at the right time Wednesday night after hitting Baltimore pitcher Jose Bautista’s first pitch to him over the fence for a two-run home run.

And after topping that with a sixth-inning grand slam, which highlighted the Tigers’ 12-4 romp over the Orioles at Baltimore, the left fielder had no doubt.

“I was playing in the right ballpark,” said Sheridan, who finished with four hits and a career-high six runs batted in.

“The first (home run) I didn’t think was high enough to get out, and the second one I thought I hit better, but the wind blew it back and it landed in the first row. I was just playing in the right ballpark.”

Sheridan’s first homer gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and his slam off Don Aase capped an eight-run sixth inning, the Tigers’ biggest outburst of 1988.

Sheridan’s two home runs gave him seven this season, one shy of his highest single-season output. The slam was his second of the season and third of his career.

“It was the best game I’ve ever had production-wise, no doubt about it,” Sheridan said. “It was a case of feeling good at the plate, getting some good pitches to hit and having some men on base.”

Darrell Evans also hit a two-run homer for Detroit.

Boston 4, New York 3--Roger Clemens scattered 8 hits in 7 innings and added 10 strikeouts to his major league-leading total while pitching the Red Sox past the Yankees at New York.

Clemens (9-3), who walked one batter in winning his seventh straight road game, has 135 strikeouts. Lee Smith worked the final 1 innings to get his eighth save.

Tommy John (4-2) allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and lasted only 2 innings. Steve Shields threw 5 innings of 1-hit relief.

Yankee left fielder Rickey Henderson left the game in the fourth inning after spraining his right ankle.

Kansas City 5, Oakland 4--Frank White drove in three runs, two on a single in the sixth inning, to help give the Royals a three-game sweep of the Athletics at Kansas City.

Matt Sinatro, activated Wednesday after being called up from Tacoma, drove in all four Oakland runs with a pair of two-run doubles, but the A’s were beaten for the fourth straight time, their longest losing streak of the season.

The Royals’ victory was their seventh straight and moved them within 8 1/2 games of the first-place A’s.

Bret Saberhagen (8-5) allowed 11 hits in 7 innings, and Jeff Montgomery pitched the final 1 for his first major league save. Dave Stewart (9-4) has gone winles in his last five games against Kansas City since May 13, 1984.

Sinatro’s run-scoring double in the second inning ended Oakland’s streak of 23 consecutive scoreless innings.

Cleveland 4, Toronto 2--Cory Snyder hit his 13th home run, and Domingo Ramos added a two-run single as the Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays at Cleveland.

Rich Yett (5-3) gave up 2 runs and 3 hits in 6 innings, while walking 6 batters and striking out 2. Bud Black pitched the next 1 innings, and Doug Jones got the last two outs for his 14th save.

Minnesota 5, Chicago 2--Pinch-hitter Randy Bush delivered a two-run double with one out in the ninth inning, lifting the Twins past the White Sox at Chicago.

Tim Laudner opened the ninth with a single off Dave LaPoint (4-6) and took second on Gene Larkin’s single. Al Newman ran for Laudner, and Kent Hrbek sacrificed. Bobby Thigpen relieved and intentionally walked pinch-hitter Tommy Herr to load the bases.

Bush, batting for Mark Davidson, doubled high off the right-field wall to score Newman and Larkin. Dan Gladden’s RBI ground-out made it 5-2.

Juan Berenguer (7-3) entered the game in the eighth after starter Les Straker allowed consecutive singles with one out. Berenguer struck out the last two batters of the inning and another in the ninth.

Milwaukee 8, Seattle 7--Glenn Braggs hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Brewers the win at Seattle.

Milwaukee, after trailing, 5-2 and 6-5, overcame a 7-6 deficit in the ninth. Mike Jackson (2-2) walked Robin Yount with one out, and after Rob Deer struck out, Braggs hit his 10th home run on a 1-and-2 pitch.