American League Roundup : Hurst Outlasts Jeff Robinson in Red Sox Win

It was really time for another Morgan Miracle.

The Boston Red Sox, who started a winning streak when Joe Morgan replaced John McNamara as manager, were in danger of falling out of contention again.

They had lost four in a row to the Detroit Tigers, leaders of the American League East, and were on the verge of dropping into third place.

After being stymied by Tiger pitching three games in a row, they were going up against Jeff Robinson, just about the sharpest pitcher in the league, Sunday in the finale at Detroit.

What a team in a slump needs is a shutout. The Red Sox got one from Bruce Hurst. The left-hander matched Robinson, a second-year Tiger from Azusa Pacific, until the Red Sox finally broke their hitting slump in the 10th inning.

Mike Greenwell doubled to trigger a rally in the 10th that chased Robinson (13-5) and salvaged a 3-0 victory to halt the skid.

Hurst (12-4), winner of all three of his starts since coming off the disabled list, gave up six hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.

Robinson had not lost at Detroit since he was defeated April 21 by Boston. In his two previous starts, he pitched a one-hitter and a 1-0 victory.

He was working on a three-hitter when Greenwell doubled to left and Ellis Burks beat out a bunt to third. Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson called on Guillermo Hernandez to replace Robinson.

Todd Benzinger, a .207 hitter as a right-handed batter, worked the count to 3-and-2 against the left-handed bullpen ace, then grounded a single to right. With one out, Jody Reed squeezed in a run and Rich Gedman doubled in another one.

With New York also winning, the Red Sox and Yankees trail the Tigers by 3 games.

“I knew a big game was needed by me,” Hurst said. “Jeff Robinson is a great pitcher, and they have been playing great.”

Morgan had predicted Saturday that the Red Sox would win this one.

“I thought the only way we could beat the Tigers today was exactly the way we did it,” Morgan said. “I thought we were going to shut them down. Even then, Hurst might have lost 1-0, the way Robinson was pitching. The bleeding has stopped. It ain’t that easy. The Red Sox needed a win, that’s all I know.

“Can I predict? All I know is that if you predict often enough, you’ll eventually look like a genius.”

Robinson admitted he wasn’t ready to come out in the 10th.

“I pitched the best I could, that’s it,” he said. “I would have liked to keep going, but that’s Sparky’s decision. I would never ask to come out.”

Anderson said he thought Robinson had gone far enough.

New York 5, Minnesota 1--Richard Dotson, who knew he probably would be out of the rotation if he had one more bad outing, responded at New York.

He came through with just the performance the struggling Yankee pitching staff needed.

Dotson (9-4) shut out the heavy-hitting Twins until Kent Hrbek hit his 20th home run with one out in the ninth. All of Hrbek’s home runs have been against Eastern Division teams. One out later, Dotson needed help. Steve Shields came on to get the last out.

In his previous two starts, Dotson was hammered for 11 earned runs in 5 innings.

“I had been listening to advice for the last month,” he said. “I decided to lose on my own terms. No more thinking about where my feet are placed or if I’m turning my shoulders right. I can’t think about those things. Major league hitters are tough enough to get out.”

Ken Phelps and Claudell Washington each hit a home run and drove in two runs to give Dotson the support he needed.

Seattle 12, Oakland 7--The run-scoring fly ball was a record-breaking play for the Mariners at Oakland.

They hit a major league-record five sacrifice flies and spoiled Jim Corsi’s return to the Athletics from the minors.

But the big play was Jim Presley’s tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning that followed Rey Quinones’ fourth hit of the game.

Corsi, brought up from Tacoma to replace Steve Ontiveros, who went on the disabled list with tendinitis in his elbow, gave up six runs in five innings.

Although their four-game winning streak ended, the Athletics remained 7 games ahead of Minnesota in the West.

Kansas City 5, Toronto 1--Floyd Bannister struck out eight and gave up only four hits in six innings at Toronto to even his record at 9-9.

Jamie Quirk hit a home run and a double, and Bo Jackson ended an 0-for-15 slump with his 17th home run.

It was a 1-1 game and Jim Clancy (5-12) had retired nine batters in a row when the Royals scored three runs in the sixth.

Milwaukee 7, Baltimore 2--Rob Deer drove in four runs with a home run, double and two singles at Baltimore to help Mike Birkbeck win his fifth in a row.

Birkbeck was 2-5 when he was sent down to Denver. He has been in control since coming back July 5. He gave up only two hits after a two-run homer by Cal Ripken in the first inning.

Texas 2, Cleveland 0--Jose Guzman pitched a five-hitter at Arlington, Tex., to give the Rangers their first series victory since June and the Indians their seventh loss in eight games.

Guzman (10-8) became the Rangers first 10-game winner, striking out six and walking one. It was his second shutout and sixth complete game of the season.

Texas had lost seven series and split two since winning two of three games in Seattle from June 27-29.