American League Roundup : Rice Hits Grand Slam, Puts Red Sox Up by 4 1/2

For a dozen seasons, Jim Rice was the leader of the Boston Red Sox power attack. He could be counted on for 20 or more home runs and, when healthy, at least 100 runs batted in.

Last season, when he was 34, his productivity plunged, and Boston’s outstanding young talent forced him to turn to a designated hitter role. He never quite settled into the job.

Most of this season, Mike Greenwell, Wade Boggs and others have made the headlines, and Rice has practically become a forgotten man.

But Tuesday night at Boston, it was Rice’s turn to keep the Red Sox driving toward the title in the American League East.

Rice hit the eighth grand slam of his career to power the Red Sox to a 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and increase their lead to 4 1/2 games. It was their fifth win in the last six games.

Boggs had two doubles, including the one that started the winning rally in the third, when Rice homered against the Orioles for the 38th time in his career. Boggs, who is hitting .361 and is on his way to another batting title, needs only eight hits to become the first player in modern baseball history to get 200 hits in six seasons.

Rice’s 12th homer of the season ruined the debut of Pete Harnisch and made a winner of Mike Smithson (8-5). Lee Smith earned his 25th save.

“He struck me out on three swings the first time,” Rice said. “But it gave me an idea of what he was throwing and where. I was ready the next time.”

It was only the fourth time in the last 13 games that Rice was in the lineup.

“That was one of his old-time shots,” Boston Manager Joe Morgan said. “He hit good the last time I gave him a few days off.”

Toronto 9, Detroit 1--It just keeps getting worse for the luckless Tigers. A couple of weeks ago they lost second baseman Lou Whitaker with a freak knee injury.

In this humiliating loss at Toronto, shortstop Alan Trammell was hit in the wrist. He suffered a severe bruise and may be out a week or more. The Tigers also have lost Jeff Robinson, their leading pitcher for the season.

Jesse Barfield hit a grand slam and Dave Stieb (13-8) pitched a strong seven innings to hand the staggering Tigers their 18th loss in the last 22 games.

“You won’t hear us crying about anything,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “Take your whipping and don’t cry.”

The Tigers are 4 1/2 games out of first.

New York 5, Cleveland 4--Four times in less than a week, the Yankees have hammered a late-inning home run to win a game and stay in the pennant race.

If you expected such stars as Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield or Jack Clark to deliver the clutch blows, forget it.

Gary Ward hit the first one for a 10-inning victory, then twice in the ninth inning, Claudell Washington provided the lightning.

But the magic man in Tuesday’s game at Cleveland is really a shocker.

Luis Aguayo came up with a man on and one out in the eighth inning and the Yankees trailing, 4-3. He hit his third home run of the season and his second in two games, as the Yankees remained 4 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.

“We have a hero every night, and, if we keep doing that, we’re going to win some ballgames,” Aguayo said. “It’s good for us, exciting. But hopefully, we can start winning some easy ones.”

Rookie Luis Medina put the Indians ahead in the fifth with his fourth home run in the last three games, all against the Yankees.

Oakland 2, Texas 1--Jose Canseco hit his 39th home run, a two-run shot, and Dennis Eckersley got his 40th save as the Athletics beat the Rangers at Oakland.

Curt Young (10-8) pitched 4-hit ball for 7 innings as the Athletics cut their magic number for winning the American League West to 7.

Canseco hit a home run to right field in the sixth inning after Dave Henderson singled with one out. Texas’ Jose Guzman (11-12) had allowed only 1 hit through 5 innings.

Canseco leads the major leagues in homers and also in runs batted in, with 115. He stole his 37th base in the eighth, moving him closer to becoming the first player to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in the same year.

Milwaukee 4, Chicago 0--The Brewers are still 5 1/2 games out of first, but if they had had a healthy Juan Nieves, they might be much closer.

Nieves, in his first start since July 15, pitched a three-hitter, his first complete game this season.

Paul Molitor and Robin Yount hit home runs. Yount’s was an inside-the-park homer.

Minnesota 2, Seattle 1--Jim Dwyer singled home the tying run in the top of the ninth and Tommy Herr’s grounder scored the winning run seconds later at Seattle.

Going into the ninth, five Mariner pitchers had the Twins beaten, 1-0.