American League Roundup : Stieb’s 1-Hitter Leaves Yankees Feeling Worse

After the New York Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians Saturday, Manager Dallas Green said, “We stink.”

He knows what he is talking about. After losing to the Indians again Sunday, Green probably thought things couldn’t get worse, but they did.

Dave Stieb pitched a one-hitter Monday night and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees, 8-0, dropping New York to 1-6, its worst start since 1975.

The crowd at Yankee Stadium was announced as 17,192. Fewer than 5,000 were left when the game ended. And most of those people were yelling at the home team.

“If I were a fan, I’d be booing, too,” Green said. “In fact, I’m booing from the dugout, but they can’t hear me.”

Stieb, who closed last year with consecutive one-hitters, has three in his last four starts.

“There’s no secret to it,” said Stieb, hit only by Jamie Quirk’s solid single with one out in the fifth inning. “I’m getting all of my pitches over and they got me a lot of runs, and that usually means a victory.”

Jesse Barfield, Fred McGriff and Lloyd Moseby hit home runs for Toronto.

Boston 5, Cleveland 2--Nick Esasky hit a home run in his Fenway Park debut and Wade Boggs keyed rallies with two singles in the Red Sox’s home opener.

Mike Boddicker (1-0) allowed no runs and two hits in five innings. Mike Smithson relieved after a two-run homer by Joe Carter in the sixth and finished for his second save.

Texas 6, Milwaukee 4--Ruben Sierra doubled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Rangers spoiled the Brewers’ home opener.

Sierra’s hit off Chuck Crim (0-1) came after a walk to Rafael Palmeiro. Cecil Espy hit a single to drive in the final run for the Rangers, who won for the fifth time in six games.

The victory went to Jeff Russell (1-0), who struck out Robin Yount with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth and then retired the Brewers in order in the 10th.

Pete Incaviglia tied the score for the Rangers with a two-run home run off Chris Bosio in the sixth.

After Scott Fletcher hit a single in the first, Palmeiro hit his first American League homer to give Texas a 2-0 lead.

But the Brewers rallied with four runs in the second off Charlie Hough, who allowed three hits and three walks in the inning before being replaced by Brad Arnsberg.

Rob Deer led off with his second homer to cut the deficit to 2-1. After Hough walked Glenn Braggs and Bill Spiers, Jim Gantner drove in the tying run with a single.

Hough, who has lost nine consecutive decisions to the Brewers, walked Mike Felder to load the bases. B.J. Surhoff hit a single to right, scoring Spiers and Gantner to make it 4-2.

Arnsberg came in and got Yount to fly out to end the inning.

Kansas City 3, Baltimore 0--Bret Saberhagen pitched a three-hitter at Kansas City, leading the Royals to their 14th consecutive victory over the Orioles.

Kansas City hasn’t lost to Baltimore since July 26, 1987, when the Orioles beat the Royals and Saberhagen, 4-3.

Saberhagen became the first Royal starter to get a victory this season. He struck out six.

Baltimore rookie Pete Harnisch allowed seven hits and walked five in 7 2/3 innings.

Willie Wilson, who missed two games with with a strained Achilles’ tendon, scored the Royals’ first run after he singled leading off the first and took third on Kevin Seitzer’s single.

Danny Tartabull, who sat out a game with a bruised heel suffered in a collision Saturday, drove in Wilson with a sacrifice fly.

Seattle 6, Chicago 5--Dave Valle tripled off an overhead speaker in the Kingdome to drive in the go-ahead run in a three-run seventh inning and the Mariners held on to beat the White Sox in their home opener.

Valle’s pinch-hit off Ken Patterson was headed for the left-center field stands when it hit one of the six speakers suspended from the ceiling, 132 feet above the field. Valle, trying for an inside-the-park homer, was thrown out.

Omar Vizquel then walked, stole second and scored when Harold Reynolds singled for a 5-3 lead. Ken Griffey Jr. walked and Alvin Davis singled to score Reynolds.