American League Roundup : Twins Have Tigers’ Number Again in 7-5, 10-Inning Win

The Detroit Tigers are grateful for at least one thing. When they complete this season’s play against the Minnesota Twins tonight at Minneapolis, they will still be leading the American League East, if only barely.

The Tigers have had nothing but problems with the defending World Series champions since the AL playoff series last fall when the Twins beat them, 4 games to 1.

Kent Hrbek’s second home run of the game came with Kirby Puckett on base in the 10th inning Tuesday night at Minneapolis to give the Twins a 7-5 victory.

It was the Twins’ 10th win in 11 games against the Tigers and it cut Detroit’s division lead to just 2 games over the Boston Red Sox and 5 games over the New York Yankees.

The home runs gave Hrbek 24 this season. Surprisingly, all of them have been hit against AL East teams.

The Twins had only three hits but four runs off Jeff Robinson going into the eighth when they tied it, 5-5.

The victory marked the first time in nine days the Twins didn’t play follow the leader with the first-place Oakland Athletics. The Twins moved to within 7 games of the A’s.

A two-run home run by Dave Bergman, batting over .370 since the All-Star break, gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead in the third inning.

“I can’t really put my finger on it,” Puckett said. “Each season it seems there’s one team you play especially well against. The Tigers are the one we handle. We haven’t done too well against some others.

“We’re not in first place, but they are.”

For most of this decade, the Tigers have dominated the Twins. From 1979 until the playoffs last fall, the Tigers had a 60-36 edge.

New York 5, Oakland 4--Don Mattingly got rid of some of his frustration when he singled home Rafael Santana from second base with one out in the ninth at New York to end the Yankees’ four-game losing streak.

Mattingly, angry with the team’s attitude and what he called owner George Steinbrenner’s negative influence on the team, delivered with his bat this time.

He made a winner of Dave Righetti, the reliever who had helped lose a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning.

Tommy John held the heavy-hitting A’s for 4 innings and to just four hits in seven innings. With one out, he gave up a walk and a double to Jose Canseco in the eighth.

Righetti came in and promptly lost the lead, giving up a walk and three singles before getting out of the inning. But he pitched a scoreless ninth, and Mattingly made him a winner.

Kansas City 11, Texas 7--The Rangers appeared in control with a 5-0 lead in the third inning at Arlington, Tex., and a 7-3 edge going into the ninth, but it was only an illusion. The Royals then scored eight times.

Dale Mohorcic walked in the tying run, and Guy Hoffman came in to walk in the go-ahead run.

In the big inning, George Brett singled, walked and scored twice. The Royals had only four hits for their eight runs. They had six walks and a wild pitch to help them.

Bo Jackson hit his 20th home run in the seventh.

Cleveland 6, Milwaukee 2--Rich Yett gave up only five hits in seven innings, and Joe Carter doubled twice to lead the Brewers at Milwaukee.

The Indians pounded Bill Wegman for six runs and nine hits in 6 innings. Since he last won July 19, Wegman (10-11) is 0-5 with a 7.01 earned-run average.

Toronto 7, Chicago 2--A rain delay of more than two hours at Toronto did not dampen the Blue Jays’ enthusiasm.

Fred McGriff had a 452-foot home run and a triple, and Jesse Barfield hit a two-run homer as the Blue Jays made it easy for Jim Clancy (7-13).

Melido Perez (11-8) gave up five runs, four of them earned, on seven hits in six innings to take the loss.