American League Roundup : Greenwell Slam Helps Red Sox Move Into 2nd

Mike Greenwell hit the first grand slam of his career in the first inning, and the Red Sox went on to defeat the Texas Rangers, 7-2, Tuesday night at Boston for their 21st consecutive victory at home.

In equaling the club record of 21 in a row set at Fenway Park by the 1949 team, the Red Sox moved within one of the American League mark held by the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics. The major league record for the most consecutive home victories is 26, set by the New York Giants in 1916.

“The way we’re playing right now, it’s going to be awfully hard to beat us,” Greenwell said. “I wouldn’t want to be a team coming in here to play this ballclub.”

Wes Gardner, normally a reliever, made his seventh start because of injuries and allowed three hits in seven innings and got relief from Dennis Lamp in the last two innings. Gardner (4-0 at home and 5-1 overall) struck out four and walked four.

The Red Sox, who moved past the Yankees and into second place in the East, nailed down their 18th victory in 19 starts under Manager Joe Morgan early, shelling Texas starter Jeff Russell (8-4) for a 7-1 lead in the third inning. Greenwell’s grand slam was the third off Russell this season and the fifth he has given up in his career, a Ranger record. The Rangers have allowed eight this season, one shy of the major league record.

Milwaukee 11, New York 5--The Brewers, who averaged only 2.9 runs a game on a recent 1-7 trip, returned home and knocked out Yankee starter Tommy John in the second inning en route to a 15-hit attack. At the same time, they also knocked the Yankees out of second place.

Jeffrey Leonard got the Brewers started with a three-run double in the first inning. Run-scoring singles by Robin Yount and Greg Brock made it 5-1 in the second inning before reliever Neil Allen was greeted by a two-run, bases-loaded single back through the box by Joey Meyer. Allen fell backward on the mound to avoid the liner and left the game in the next inning with a bruised lower spine.

Jim Gantner, who had four hits, tripled in two runs in the third inning off Richard Dotson.

The Brewers scored their final two runs in the seventh off Tim Stoddard on a single by Dale Sveum and a home run by Paul Molitor, his sixth.

Milwaukee’s Mike Birkbeck ran his record to 4-0 in six starts since being recalled from the minors July 5 and beat the Yankees for the second time in a week. He is 6-5 overall.

Detroit 1, Kansas City 0--Ray Knight singled home Pat Sheridan with two out in the top of the ninth inning at Kansas City, Mo., to keep the Tigers alone in first place in the East.

Jeff Robinson, who one-hit the Royals in his last start, allowed seven hits in 8 innings to improve to 13-4. After Royal Willie Wilson singled with two out, Mike Henneman came on to earn his 16th save.

Kansas City starter Floyd Bannister (8-9) lost for the seventh time in nine decisions.

Toronto 11, Minnesota 1--Tony Fernandez went 4 for 5 with 2 RBIs and Fred McGriff hit a pair of solo home runs at Toronto to give Jim Clancy (5-11) his first victory since June 23.

McGriff launched a homer to center field to give Toronto a 6-1 lead after three innings and hit his second homer of the game and 25th of the season off reliever Jim Winn in the seventh. McGriff is second in the league in home runs this season, trailing Oakland’s Jose Canseco, who has 31.

“I’m not thinking about catching Canseco,” McGriff said. “I’m just trying to do my part in helping this team get something started.

Chicago 7, Oakland 5--Dan Pasqua homered, and Steve Lyons had three hits and drove in two runs at Chicago as the White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak.

Bobby Thigpen got his 22nd save.

The loss ended Oakland’s three-game winning streak, but the Athletics maintained a 6 1/2-game lead in the West.

Baltimore 5, Cleveland 2--At Baltimore, the Orioles won for just the fifth time since the All-Star break, but, for the third time, it came in a game that Oswald Peraza started.

Peraza (4-4) scattered eight hits for the victory. The Orioles helped him by scoring four runs in the second inning.

“I don’t want to be the leader, I just want to do my job the best I can do,” the 25-year-old Peraza said.