American League Roundup : Red Sox Push Yankees 6 1/2 Games Out

After beating two-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens in the opener of a crucial four-game series at Boston, the New York Yankees had reason to believe they had an excellent shot at the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have had a history of folding just when the pennant is in sight.

Not this time. Ellis Burks and Dwight Evans powered the Red Sox to their third straight victory over the Yankees Sunday at Fenway Park. The 9-4 victory helped Boston take a major step toward the division title in the American League East.

Burks hit a three-run home run in the first inning to give Mike Smithson (9-5) the start he needed to beat Ron Guidry. Evans, who hit the home run that won Saturday’s game, hit a two-run home run in the second inning Sunday that made it 7-1.

The Yankees, who went into Boston trailing by 4 1/2 games, were talking about a repeat of 1978, when the Yankees swept a four-game series at Fenway Park and went on to win the AL East.

But, they left Boston 6 1/2 games out of first place.

“Everybody kept bringing up 1978, and maybe it was in the back of our minds,” Evans said. “Now it’s dead and buried.”

The Yankees dropped to fourth, with the Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers in a virtual tie for second, six games behind. The Red Sox have 13 games left, and their magic number is eight.

Evans is one of three Red Sox on the club who were around in 1978. Another is Bob Stanley, who pitched scoreless relief before Lee Smith came in to get the last four outs and his 28th save.

“This is really gigantic, winning three in a row after losing the first game,” Manager Joe Morgan said. “It’s all up to us.”

The Morgan Miracle, which began when the Red Sox won their first 12 games under Morgan, is almost complete. When Morgan replaced John McNamara at the All-Star break, the Red Sox were 8 1/2 games behind Detroit.

Since he took over, the Red Sox are 42-22, the best second-half record in the major leagues.

Smithson, signed as a free agent in the spring, gave up 6 hits through six innings, including home runs to Claudell Washington and Mike Pagliarulo. When Pagliarulo hit a single to open the seventh, Stanley replaced Smithson.

Wade Boggs, who started the three-run first with a single, went 3 for 4 and scored three times. He raised his average to .358 and is closing in on his fourth consecutive batting title. Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins is batting .347.

Boggs has 196 hits. When he gets four more, he will become the first hitter in modern history to have 200 hits in six consecutive seasons.

“It’s tough to spot a good team six runs,” Yankee Manager Lou Piniella said. “It was a good series, we just didn’t get the job done.”

Oakland 3, Kansas City 2--The Athletics could be the first team to clinch a division title. The A’s, who have the only player with 40 home runs (Jose Canseco), can earn the championship in the West by beating the Twins tonight at Oakland.

In a game in which Canseco hit No. 40 in the second inning at Oakland, the Athletics dropped their magic number to two when Royal bullpen ace Steve Farr walked Dave Henderson with the bases loaded in the 11th inning.

As he has often this season, Luis Polonia started the winning rally with a double.

Canseco needs three stolen bases in the last 12 games to be the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. The two runs batted in gave him a major league-leading 117, a career high.

Dave Stewart, with 18 victories, will pitch against the Twins tonight.

Baltimore 2, Detroit 0--It seemed as if it was “wait until next year” for the Orioles about a week into the season. It is just reaching that stage for the slumping Tigers.

The Tigers, who led the East for longer than any other team, were dealt nearly the final blow by a rookie at Detroit.

Bob Milacki made an impressive debut. Up from double-A at Charlotte, N.C., the right-hander limited the Tigers to one hit, a single by Tom Brookens in the third, in eight innings. Former Dodger Tom Niedenfuer pitched the last inning for his 18th save.

“We haven’t been able to score runs all year,” said Manager Sparky Anderson, after the Tigers lost for the 20th time in the last 26 games. “It seems we can only win if we get someone on and hit a home run.”

The Tigers, who led the division race by two games Aug. 28, trail by six.

Chicago 8, Minnesota 5--Dan Pasqua finally began to hit again at Minneapolis and just about ended the Twins’ hopes of repeating as world champion.

Pasqua hit two home runs and drove in four runs to drop the Twins 11 1/2 games behind Oakland in the West.

Going into the game, Pasqua was batting only .107 during this month. He went 4 for 4, including a three-run homer in the seventh and a solo shot in the ninth.

Milwaukee 10, Seattle 2--Jeffrey Leonard hit a grand slam in the third inning at Seattle, and Juan Nieves coasted to his seventh victory in 12 decisions.

The victory left the Brewers six games behind Boston, but only percentage points out of second place.

Toronto 4, Cleveland 0--The Blue Jays and veteran right-hander Dave Stieb have patched up their quarrel and Stieb is pitching as well as he did when he was their ace.

Stieb gave up just four hits and permitted only one runner to reach third base. He has a 14-8 record despite a long spell when he was pitching in relief.

The Blue Jays, in fifth place, are only 2 1/2 games out of second and two behind New York.