American League Roundup : Rangers’ Brown Makes Change for Better, Throws 2-Hitter

Kevin Brown pitched a two-hitter as the Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees, 4-1, Wednesday night at Arlington, Tex.

Brown (2-1) had been chased early in his last two starts and entered the game with a 4.70 earned-run average. He walked three, struck out two and got 17 outs on ground balls by Yankee batters.

“The big thing was that I was in the strike zone more,” Brown said. “I made a mechanical adjustment from my two previous starts. I was overthrowing. I decided to go for the middle of the plate.”

Brown impressed Yankee Manager Dallas Green.

“He had good stuff,” Green said. “He had an outstanding breaking ball early. That’s where he was getting most of his outs. Later, he was effective with his sinker.”

Mike Pagliarulo’s second-inning single was New York’s only hit until Rickey Henderson doubled in the sixth.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 2--Shortstop Kurt Stillwell dropped Joe Carter’s two-out pop fly, allowing two runs to score during a three-run fourth inning at Cleveland, as the Indians ended the Royals’ four-game winning streak.

Tom Candiotti (3-1) pitched a seven-hitter for his second complete game, striking out six and walking one to give the Indians their fifth victory in the last six games.

Charlie Leibrandt (2-3) gave up six runs, four earned, on eight hits in four-plus innings.

Andy Allanson and Felix Fermin hit consecutive singles with one out in the fourth. Oddibe McDowell’s ground-out advanced the runners to second and third, and Leibrandt’s wild pitch scored Allanson to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead.

Jerry Browne walked, and Carter hit a fly into short left that Stillwell gloved easily, then dropped, both runners scoring.

Royal Manager John Wathan was ejected for arguing that Stillwell held the ball long enough for an out.

Seattle 3, Detroit 2--Jim Presley hit his first home run in 207 at-bats, and rookie Erik Hanson gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings as the Mariners completed a three-game sweep.

The last time the Mariners swept a three-game series from the Tigers was May 30-June 1, 1986, also in the Kingdome. Detroit has lost seven of its last eight games.

Hanson (3-2) gave up two runs, one earned. He struck out six and walked four before Dennis Powell relieved with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Powell struck out pinch-hitter Gary Ward to end the inning. Mike Schooler pitched 1 1/3 innings for his fourth save.

Presley, who had not hit a home run since last Aug. 13, gave the Mariners a 3-0 lead when he homered off Doyle Alexander (3-2) in the fifth inning.

Milwaukee 7, Minnesota 2--Gary Sheffield and Rob Deer each hit two-run homers during the third inning as the Brewers defeated the slumping Twins at Minneapolis to end a five-game losing streak.

The Twins have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Before their own slump, the Brewers had swept a three-game series against the Twins in Milwaukee, outscoring Minnesota, 27-8.

Bill Wegman (2-3) pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. He got help from Chuck Crim and Bill Kreuger, who earned the save.

With one out in the third inning, Jim Gantner singled and moved to third on Pete O’Brien’s single. After a sacrifice fly by Paul Molitor, Sheffield homered off Shane Rawley (1-4).

Robin Yount followed with a single, and Deer hit a 443-foot home run to center field. It was the longest homer hit in the Metrodome this season and Deer’s sixth of the year.

Boston 8, Chicago 4--Rick Cerone drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a squeeze bunt for the Red Sox at Chicago.

Mike Boddicker (2-2) pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits in lasting past the sixth inning for the first time in six starts this season. Bob Stanley pitched 2 1/3 innings for his third save.

Cerone, subbing for slumping catcher Rich Gedman, broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning with a two-run homer off Shawn Hillegas (0-4).

Dwight Evans drove in two runs and scored twice for Boston. He had a sacrifice fly in the ninth for the 1,200th RBI of his career.

Toronto 2, Oakland 0--Mike Flanagan pitched a four-hitter for his 19th career shutout as the Blue Jays defeated the Athletics at Toronto.

The Blue Jays entered the game having lost four straight games and eight of their last nine. The victory was the first for Toronto over the A’s in their last eight games at Exhibition Stadium.

Flanagan (2-1) walked one and struck out four.