American League Roundup : Oil Can Sharp as Red Sox Win; Rice Suspended

Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd pitched a perfect game for 6 innings Thursday night as the Boston Red Sox improved their record to 8-0 under new Manager Joe Morgan with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Boston.

The win was Boston’s 13th straight at Fenway Park and moved them within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Detroit Tigers in the American League East.

Boyd (8-7) retired the first 19 batters before Steve Lyons, formerly of Boston, lined a single to center with one out in the seventh inning. Boyd was replaced by Tom Bolton to start the eighth.

The Red Sox scored two runs in the first against Jack McDowell (4-8). Wade Boggs reached first base on an error and went to second on Marty Barrett’s single. With one out, Mike Greenwell grounded into a force play to score Boggs, and then Ellis Burks doubled off the left-field wall to drive in Greenwell.

Under Morgan, who replaced John McNamara on July 14, the Red Sox are off to their best second-half start ever. However, Morgan’s eighth straight win was obscured by a controversy involving Jim Rice, the Boston team captain.

Earlier in the day, Rice was suspended for three days for shoving Morgan, 57, after Morgan sent Spike Owen to the plate to pinch-hit for Rice Wednesday night during Boston’s 9-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Rice, who earns an estimated $2.2 million a year, stormed out of a meeting Thursday when he was informed of his suspension.

“It’s tough to suspend anybody,” Boston General Manager Lou Gorman said. “I have great respect for Jim Rice, but you can’t have anybody physically intimidate or question a manager’s authority.”

Morgan said he wanted to put the incident behind him.

“I don’t want an apology,” he said. “When the suspension is up, we’ll take him (Rice) back.”

Kansas City 6, New York 5--Kurt Stillwell’s RBI single capped a three-run ninth inning as the Royals came back to beat the Yankees at Kansas City, Mo.

With two outs, Bill Buckner doubled off Tim Stoddard to score Frank White, who had singled, and cut the Yankee lead to 5-4. Stoddard was replaced by Cecilio Guante (5-5) before pinch-hitter Pat Tabler lined a ball at center fielder Claudell Washington, who misplayed it for a three-base error, tying the the score.

Willie Wilson then walked, before Stillwell, who had homered in the eighth, singled to right field to drive in the winning run.

In the first, Rickey Henderson tied a major league record for home runs leading off a game with the 35th of his career.

Earlier in the day, the Yankees, who trail Detroit by two games in the East, acquired 33-year-old designated hitter Ken Phelps from the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Jay Buhner, minor league pitcher Rick Balabon and a minor league player to be named.

Phelps, a left-handed hitter, has averaged a home run every 13.6 at-bats during his nine-year career. This year, the leading home run hitter in Mariner history was batting .284 with 14 home runs and 32 runs batted in.

Milwaukee 6, Texas 1--Robin Yount tripled, singled and scored twice, and Jeffrey Leonard homered to lead the Brewers past the Rangers at Milwaukee.

Don August (5-3) pitched his fourth complete game, scattering nine hits while striking out five. August lost his bid for a shutout in the ninth inning. Pete Incaviglia and Pete O’Brien singled, and Incaviglia later scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Rangers Thursday reacquired catcher Jim Sundberg, who had been released by the Chicago Cubs last Friday. Sundberg, 38, a six-time Gold Glove winners played for Texas from 1974 through 1983.

Seattle 6, Toronto 2--Steve Balboni hit a three-run home run, and Scott Bankhead and Mike Schooler combined on a four-hitter as the Mariners beat the Blue Jays at Seattle.

Bankhead (5-4) got his fourth win in five starts by limiting Toronto to two runs and six hits in seven innings. Schooler retired all six batters he faced, three on strikeouts, in earning his seventh save.