American League Roundup : Mattingly Helps Yankees Produce a 7-2 Victory

Don Mattingly’s second-half surge is right on schedule.

Mattingly, called the “least productive .300 hitter in baseball” by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner during the All-Star break, has been anything but unproductive as of late.

In the five games since the break, Mattingly has had at least two hits in each of them.

Mattingly doubled in the first run in a five-run first inning Monday night at New York that carried the Yankees to a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

The first baseman, who has a lifetime .331 average, also had a single. He is 11 for 24 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in, and the Yankees have won 4 of 5 to keep the pressure on the Detroit Tigers in the American League East.

The Yankees jumped on Paul Kilgus, who has beaten them twice this season, for five hits and five runs to get Richard Dotson (8-3) off to a winning start.

Dotson, just off the disabled list, gave up 6 hits in 5 innings to get his first victory since June 13.

The only run off Dotson, who went on the disabled list June 29, was Pete Incaviglia’s 17th home run. It was the 18th off Dotson in 87 innings.

Both teams had 10 hits, but the Rangers stranded 11 runners.

Every season it seems as if Mattingly doesn’t do much until the second half of the season.

This season, a series of nagging injuries have hampered him. Even now, he is limping because of a foot injury.

“It’s nothing but a splinter,” he said. “Actually, I’m feeling comfortable at the plate for the first time in a long while.

“We needed somebody to provide a spark, and I’ve been able to do it. We want to put together a string and put real pressure on the Tigers.”

The “unproductive” Yankee is batting .323 and has 98 hits.

Detroit 12, Seattle 3--Gary Pettis had three run-scoring singles at Seattle, including one in a five-run sixth inning rally that broke the game open.

Walt Terrell (4-7) halted a four-game losing streak with a five-hitter and kept the Tigers one game in front of New York in the East. Terrell retired 19 straight batters from the second to the eighth inning.

Tom Brookens’ run-scoring single broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth.

Oakland 7, Cleveland 2--Stan Javier went 5 for 5, and Jose Canseco hit his 25th home run as the Athletics stretched their lead in the West to 4 games in this game at Oakland.

The A’s knocked out Scott Bailes in the sixth inning. Bailes, who criticized the A’s “attitude” during a series in Cleveland before the All-Star game and shut them out with five hits.

This time Oakland bombed him for seven runs.

Todd Burns (2-0) gave up seven hits and pitched his first complete game.

Javier is 18 for 30 against Cleveland this season.

Boston 6, Minnesota 5--Joe Morgan remains the only unbeaten manager in the majors with his fifth straight victory at Boston.

A major difference between Morgan and his predecessor, John McNamara, is that Morgan uses all his players. McNamara tended to stick with a few.

Morgan inserted newcomer Larry Parrish into the lineup at first base, and Parrish’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning was the game-winning RBI.

Morgan also believes in reliever Lee Smith. The hard-throwing bullpen ace appeared in his fourth consecutive game and barely lasted for his 13th save. Smith gave up three hits, including a run-scoring double by Tim Laudner.

“That’s how a game should end,” Morgan said, “with the winning runs on and your best guy out there firing away. I’m enjoying being a manager.”

Mike Greenwell celebrated his 25th birthday by getting three of the Red Sox hits and driving in a run.

Milwaukee 6, Kansas City 1--Joey Meyer and Charlie O’Brien hit two-run home runs in the second inning at Milwaukee to give Mike Birkbeck the cushion he needed.

Birkbeck (4-5) gave up seven hits in eight innings to get his second straight victory since being recalled from the minors.

“It was a good thing they sent me down,” Birkbeck said. “I wasn’t getting enough work to stay sharp. It’s the best thing that could happen, because now I’m in a groove.”

George Brett, who was involved in a scuffle with teammate Willie Wilson after Sunday’s loss at Boston, had two hits and drove in the Royals’ only run.