American League Roundup : Clemens Wins Second Battle of Fastball War

Roger Clemens, the young fireballer from Texas, and Nolan Ryan, the old fireballer from Texas, hooked up for the second time in less than a week Friday night at Boston.

They are now even at a victory apiece, and once again the game, won by Boston over the Rangers, 7-6, was marred by a near free-for-all.

In the first meeting ever between the right-handed strikeout kings last Sunday in Texas, Ryan won, 2-1, on Rafael Palmeiro’s two-run home run. In holding the Red Sox to three hits, Ryan hit Ellis Burks and Jim Rice with pitches, drawing the ire of the Red Sox.

This time, it was a 3-3 tie in the seventh when Ryan almost hit Burks with a pitch again. Both benches emptied.

No blows were struck, but it was the beginning of the end for Ryan. Burks, who shouted at Ryan after the close delivery, lined a 3-2 pitch for a hit to drive in the go-ahead run, chasing Ryan.

It was Mike Greenwell, not Burks, that Ryan should have been throwing at. Greenwell tagged him for two home runs.

The Red Sox caught Ryan on his worst night since he returned to the American League this season.

Ryan gave up eight hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings and left trailing, 7-3. Clemens (4-1) was chased in the eighth, but Bob Stanley shut down the threatening Rangers with the tying run in scoring position.

Until he ran out of gas, Clemens was superb, except for a two-run double by Palmeiro in the second. While Ryan was getting only three strikeouts, Clemens had nine. Up to the eighth, he had yielded only three runs and six hits.

Oakland 5, Detroit 3--Dave Stewart slipped into May as if he thought it was still April.

The Athletics’ ace, unbeaten in April in recent years, won his sixth game in a row. Stewart, who won his first eight in 1988, gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings at Detroit. As usual when he starts, there was Dennis Eckersley to pitch the ninth; he shut down the Tigers for his ninth save.

Last season Stewart went on to win 21 games. He is seeking to win 20 or more for the third season in a row.

The A’s, in handing the Tigers their fourth consecutive loss, wasted no time jumping on Frank Tanana (2-4). Glenn Hubbard, given a second chance when a fan down the left-field line took his foul fly away from Chet Lemon, singled home two runs in a four-run first inning.

One of the runs off Stewart was a home run by Fred Lynn after Mark McGwire dropped his foul pop-up.

Although they have been without slugging star Jose Canseco all season, the A’s are the first team in the majors to win 20 games.

“I’m not looking ahead,” Stewart said. “If you do, you might miss what’s going to happen next. I’m just happy to be getting people out.”

Kansas City 5, Milwaukee 4--Danny Tartabull led off the 10th inning at Milwaukee with his second home run of the season to end the Royals’ two-game losing streak.

Bo Jackson hit his league-leading ninth home run for the Royals.

The Royals have won four of their five extra-inning games this season and have an 18-10 record, only third best in the tough American League West.

New York 7, Chicago 5--Steve Balboni hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning at Chicago to cap a rally that gave the Yankees their second victory in a row.

Ivan Calderon drove in three runs, and Ron Kittle drove in two more to help the White Sox build a 5-1 lead off starter John Candelaria.

A two-run single by pinch-hitter Hal Morris in the sixth began the Yankee comeback, and Don Mattingly’s run-scoring single in the same inning cut the lead to a run.

Mattingly’s infield out drove in the tying run in the eighth before Balboni homered.

Minnesota 3, Cleveland 2--In what may be the start of a turnaround for the Twins, Dan Gladden singled home Randy Bush with two out in the 12th inning at Cleveland to end the Twins’ four-game losing streak.

The Twins improved to 11-16 with only their second win in the last 13 games.

The Indians, who had won four straight, sent the game into extra innings when Dave Clark hit a home run off bullpen ace Jeff Reardon with one out in the ninth.

Kent Hrbek’s double started the winning rally.