American League Roundup : Canseco Sparks A’s 5-4 Victory; McGwire Fired Up After Knockdown

Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire are a potent 1-2 punch for the Oakland Athletics. Both tried for knockout punches Saturday at Oakland. Only Canseco succeeded.

Canseco hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning to lead the A’s to a 5-4 comeback victory over the New York Yankees.

In the same inning, a pitch by Yankee reliever Neil Allen hit McGwire, who has been a target for pitchers the last two seasons, in the helmet. McGwire charged the mound but didn’t get in a good punch.

Both benches emptied as Allen and McGwire wrestled to the ground. When order was restored, McGwire and Allen were ejected.

In April, after the Angels’ Kirk McCaskill hit McGwire in the head with a fastball, McGwire vowed to retaliate if any pitcher threw at him again. He was true to his word.

“Like I said early in the season, I’m not about to let that pass again,” McGwire said. “I’ve been hit in the head too many times. I don’t care if it was intentional or not intentional--it hit me in the head.”

The Yankees, trying to close in on the Detroit Tigers in the American League East, built a 4-0 lead for Ron Guidry and were still on top, 4-2, with newly acquired reliever Dale Mohorcic on the mound, going into the eighth.

Stan Javier singled and Dave Henderson walked to open the inning. Manager Lou Piniella came out to talk to Mohorcic and let him pitch to Canseco.

It was a mistake. On the third pitch, Canseco hit a drive over the fence in right for his major league-leading 35th home run. When Dennis Eckersley checked the Yankees in the ninth for his 37th save, the A’s were still 8 1/2 games in front in the West with 26 games left.

After the home run, Carney Lansford hit his second double of the game and Allen replaced Mohorcic. Allen’s first pitch was a wild. The next hit McGwire.

“With the game on the line, you don’t drill someone,” Allen said. “It was a fastball up and in that got away from me.”

Evidently, McGwire’s teammates have been waiting for the quiet slugger to retaliate.

“It’s about time,” Lansford said. “He’s been in the league two years, and he’s hit a lot of home runs. He’s been hit in the head more than any player I’ve ever seen. We’ve all been on him because he hasn’t gone out there and stood up for himself. Today, he made a statement.”

Despite the victory, the game had a downside for the A’s. Bob Welch, who was seeking his 16th victory, limped off in the fourth inning with a strained Achilles’ tendon. It is not known how long the former Dodger will be out.

The Yankees were pleased with Guidry’s performance. In his first start in more than a month, Guidry held the A’s to one hit in four innings before giving up two runs on two doubles and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Milwaukee 7, Detroit 3--Everything keeps falling in place for the Brewers’ drive into contention in the Eastern Division race.

Jeffrey Leonard, a bust most of this season, hit a two-run home run in the first inning at Detroit, and the Tigers never caught up. The victory was Milwaukee’s seventh in the last eight games, five of them over the Tigers. The Tigers, whose lead over the Brewers has shrunk to 5 games, have lost 10 of their last 12.

Joey Meyer had a three-run home run in the eighth, but the big surprise was Paul Mirabella. Mirabella (2-2) rescued Tom Filer in the fourth and struck out Lou Whitaker with the bases loaded. The veteran left-hander pitched 3 scoreless innings to earn the victory.

One of the problems for the fourth-place Brewers is that they play their final game with Eastern Division rivals today at Detroit. After that they play only Western Division teams.

Minnesota 8, Kansas City 6--Jim Dwyer’s pinch single drove in two runs during a six-run, seventh-inning rally that lifted the Twins from a 6-2 deficit at Minneapolis.

Dwyer, acquired Aug. 29 from the Baltimore Orioles just because the Twins thought he was a good player in a pinch, made good in just his second at-bat with his new team. It was Dwyer’s 87th pinch-hit, third best on the all-time list.

In the same big inning, Kirby Puckett drove in his 100th run of the season and the 400th of his career.

“It just feels great,” said Puckett, who had 96 RBIs in 1986 and 99 last season. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to experience it, to feel the feeling.”

The Royals’ Bret Saberhagen, Jeff Montgomery and Jerry Don Gleaton (0-3) failed to get an out in the seventh when the Twins sent 11 to the plate. Steve Farr finally retired the side.

Mark Portugal (2-2) won it in relief. Jeff Reardon pitched the ninth and earned a club-record 35th save. He broke Ron Perranoski’s record set in 1970.

Toronto 7, Texas 4--Rance Mulliniks hit a three-run home run to break a 3-3 tie at Toronto and provide Tony Castillo with his first major league victory.

Castillo pitched 2 innings of hitless relief and Duane Ward pitched 2 hitless innings, striking out six, to save the victory.

The Blue Jays, who reached .500, are 7 1/2 games out of first in the East.

Seattle 1, Baltimore 0--Mark Langston pitched a three-hitter at Seattle, and Mickey Brantley doubled in the only run in the sixth inning.

Langston (11-10) outpitched Juan Bautista in the 1-hour 45-minute game, fastest in the majors this season. Bautista (6-12) gave up four hits.