American League Roundup : Jackson Powers Royals to 7-4 Win

Bo Jackson still isn’t hitting for average, but he is certainly hitting for distance.

Jackson hit a two-run home run, his fifth homer of the season, to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 7-4 victory over the Red Sox Friday night at Boston.

Jackson, who spends the fall and winter as a tailback with the Raiders, also stole three bases (as the Royals tied a club record with seven), went 2 for 3 and scored three runs to help Floyd Bannister improve his record to 2-0.

Jackson has five doubles and seven stolen bases, but he is also batting below .250.

His speed accounted for two runs. In the second inning, he walked, stole second and third and scored on a single. In the fourth, he singled, stole second and continued to third on an overthrow by catcher Rich Gedman. He scored on Bob Boone’s double.

Even Boone stole a base. Six of the Royals’ steals came while John Dopson was pitching.

“We knew he (Dopson) was slow to the plate, and the only thing we had to do was get a good jump,” Jackson said.

Boone laughed about his stolen base.

“I just stole because they were giving me third base,” he said. “I feel sorry for Rich Gedman. I’ve never had a night like that, but it must be a terrible feeling.”

The Royals turned five double plays and shut off a ninth-inning rally.

Toronto 6, Texas 3--Dave Stieb held the Rangers to just three hits in eight innings at Toronto.

Stieb (2-0) struck out eight as the Blue Jays handed the Rangers their third loss in 15 games.

The Blue Jays jumped on Kevin Brown for two runs in the first inning and were never headed as they ended a three-game losing streak.

Milwaukee 2, Detroit 1--Jack Morris turned in his best performance of the season in this game at Milwaukee, but he still lost his fourth in a row.

Chris Bosio, as hot a pitcher as there is in the league, simply outpitched Morris. Bosio, in winning his third straight game without a loss, allowed six hits.

Morris, four games below .500 for only the second time in his career, went the distance, giving up nine hits but only one earned run.

One of the hits was a 400-foot home run by Glenn Braggs.

Cleveland 6, New York 5--Joe Carter wouldn’t mind hitting in this situation every night: He drove in the winning run with a single to left field through a drawn-in infield in the eighth inning at Cleveland as the Indians ended a six-game losing streak.

“With the infield playing in, you just swing as hard as you can, because they don’t have time to react if you hit it hard,” Carter said. “I’m surprised they pitched to me with first base open.”

Yankee Manager Dallas Green said he won’t do it again.

Minnesota 7, Baltimore 1--No pitcher in the American League won more games after the 1988 All-Star break than the Twins’ Allan Anderson.

He has picked up where he left off.

Anderson held the Orioles to four hits and a run in seven innings at Baltimore to run his record to 4-0.

The only run Anderson gave up was the first American League home run by former Dodger Mike Devereaux in the first inning.

Wally Backman, another former National Leaguer, led the Twins’ attack with three hits and two runs batted in.

Seattle 11, Chicago 1--Jerry Reuss retired the first six Mariners at Chicago, but then the roof fell in.

The Mariners, who got 16 hits, scored four runs in each of the third and sixth innings, batting around both times.

Jeffrey Leonard hit his fifth homer for the Mariners.