American League Roundup : Mariners Don’t Make It Easy, but Tigers Win

It doesn’t seem to matter whether the Detroit Tigers are playing a last-place team or a contender, it’s almost always a struggle. The Tigers usually win.

In their season series, they lead their closest challenger, the New York Yankees, 5-1. But against Seattle, the last-place club in the West, they are only 4-2, and it could easily be 3-3.

In a typically difficult game Wednesday night at Detroit, the Tigers finally prevailed, 7-6, by scoring two runs in the ninth inning. One of Sparky Anderson’s retreads, Luis Salazar, singled in Matt Nokes from third base with two out. It was Salazar’s sixth game-winning run batted in of the season.

The Tigers came from behind in the eighth inning to tie it when Darrell Evans hit a solo home run. They took a 5-3 lead moments later when Chet Lemon hit a two-run home run.

But Tiger ace reliever Mike Henneman gave up a three-run home run to Seattle’s Dave Valle in the top of the ninth, then backed into the win when Lou Whitaker, Nokes and Salazar came through in the last at-bat.

It appeared that Salazar’s career was over when the San Diego Padres released him after last season. Anderson, liking Salazar’s versatility, gave him a shot in spring training. The 32-year-old utilityman had a big spring and hasn’t stopped.

With injuries hampering a number of Tigers, it has not been unusual for Salazar, originally a third baseman, to start at different positions in four consecutive games.

Salazar, a shortstop Tuesday night, was in center field for this one.

Anderson is having great success with his over-30 group, which includes Salazar, Dave Bergman, Tom Brookens, Jim Walewander and Pat Sheridan. Not one of them was on the American League All-Star ballot.

“It’s been a tribute to a bunch of guys,” Anderson said of his first-place club. “We don’t have any one guy on the roster who doesn’t have at least 50 at-bats. That’s unheard of this time of the season.

“Nobody’s carrying this team. We don’t have any All-Star. But these guys are all pulling together and that’s why they win.”

Last season as a jack-of-all-trades for the Padres, Salazar was 48 for 189, hitting 3 home runs, scoring 13 and driving in 17 runs. In half a season, he has exceeded all those totals. Salazar is 76 for 243, a .312 average, and has 9 home runs, 41 runs and 42 runs batted in.

“The Padres told me to shop around,” Salazar said. “I came to camp with the Tigers just hoping to make the ballclub. It’s a good feeling to be with a winner. I was lost in San Diego last year.”

Minnesota 8, Boston 1--Frank Viola became the first 14-game winner in the majors and did his part to further tighten the race in the West.

Viola (14-3), continuing his string of outstanding performances, gave up only three hits, walked one and struck out five in winning his 18th consecutive decision at the Metrodome.

Kirby Puckett had three hits and drove in two runs for the Twins, who climbed within 3 1/2 games of Oakland.

For the second game in a row, Boston starter Bruce Hurst failed to get through the second inning. Hurst (9-4) gave up 3 runs and 5 hits in 1 innings. In his previous start he gave up 6 runs in 1 innings. He said after the game that he will return home to undergo tests for mononucleosis.

Cleveland 8, Oakland 6--Mel Hall hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning at Cleveland as the Indians helped trim a bit more from the Athletics’ lead in the West.

Rick Honeycutt was trying to protect a 6-4 lead, but a single, a walk and Cory Snyder’s run-scoring single cut the lead to a run. Hall then drilled a pitch off the top of the fence in right and circled the bases while right fielder Stan Javier chased the ball into center.

Texas 4, New York 2--Pete Incaviglia returned to the Ranger lineup with a bang and spoiled Ron Guidry’s bid for his first win in this game at Arlington, Tex.

Incaviglia, who missed nine games with a back injury, hit a home run and a triple and made a big defensive play, throwing out Rickey Henderson, who was trying to score from second on a single in the sixth.

Milwaukee 4, Kansas City 2--With the score tied, 2-2, Darryl Hamilton beat out a bunt in the eighth inning. On a wild pickoff attempt, he went all the way to third and scored on a passed ball.

Robin Yount, who earlier hit two doubles, tripled home a run later in the inning to give Tom Filer (5-3) a working margin.

Chicago 4, Baltimore 1--Rookie Jack McDowell gave up just 4 hits in 8 innings at Chicago to improve his record to 4-6. Fred Lynn of the Orioles hit his 15th homer in the ninth to ruin his shutout bid.