American League Roundup : Swindell Turns Down Heat, Beats Royals, 4-1

It took Greg Swindell awhile to figure out that he’s not like that other former University of Texas ace, Roger Clemens.

Swindell, relying more on style that speed, scattered nine hits Sunday at Cleveland while pitching the Indians past the Kansas City Royals, 4-1, for his fifth straight victory.

“In college, he could get in trouble and blow a couple of guys away and head back to the dugout,” Cleveland Manager Doc Edwards said. “Up here, you can’t get away with that, but he had to learn that.

“His stuff is about the same as last year, but now when he get in trouble, he just keeps pitching.”

Swindell won his first six starts last season with a 2.09 earned-run average and went on to become the first 10-game winner in the major leagues with a 10-1 mark on May 30. He lost his next five starts but still finished with an 18-14 record and a 3.20 ERA.

His first two months this season are only a little less spectacular. In his five winning starts, Swindell (9-1) has lowed his ERA to 2.47.

“I learned how to pitch last year,” said Swindell, who struck out six and walked two. “I learned I have to use all my pitches in certain situations. I can’t just rear back and throw.”

Bo Jackson’s 16th home run ruined Swindell’s shutout bid in the sixth and tied the score, 1-1.

The tie lasted less than half an inning before Mark Salas hit a two-run homer off rookie Kevin Appier (1-2).

“I know I can hit,” Salas said. “It’s a matter of getting playing time. I’m real happy. Doc Edwards is putting me in there and I’m getting a shot.”

“(Appier) got it up and I got the ball in the air.”

Joel Skinner’s run-scoring single in the eighth gave Swindell another run to work with.

Baltimore 4, Oakland 2--Dave Schmidt and rookie Mickey Weston combined on a four-hitter and the Orioles won the last three of a four-game series with the Athletics at Baltimore before 46,541 fans--largest crowd at Memorial Stadium since opening day.

The victory stretched Baltimore’s lead to five games in the AL East, while Oakland leads the Angels by 1 1/2 in the West.

Bob Melvin hit a three-run double in the first inning off Curt Young (2-7) and added a run-scoring single in the seventh.

Schmidt (7-5) limited Oakland to three hits in six innings, retiring the first 14 batters. Weston, making his major-league debut, yielded only one hit the rest of the way.

Luis Polonia hit a two-run homer for Oakland in the sixth.

Texas 5, New York 2--Ruben Sierra drove in three runs and knuckleballer Charlie Hough stopped the Yankees as the Rangers averted a four-game sweep by winning at New York.

Hough (5-6), who lost eight of his previous nine decisions against the Yankees, did not allow a hit until Ken Phelps hit his third homer with two out in the fourth. The 41-year-old allowed four hits in eight innings and Jeff Russell pitched the ninth.

Sierra had an RBI single in the first and a two-run single in the third off Dave LaPoint (6-6) as the Rangers won for only the 34th time in 105 games at Yankee Stadium.

Scott Fletcher had a run-scoring double in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the ninth as Texas reversed two earlier decisions against LaPoint this season.

Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 6--Gary Gaetti’s second home run of the game, a two-run shot in the ninth inning, lifted the Twins past the Brewers at Minneapolis.

Frank Viola took a 6-3 lead to the top of the ninth, but left after Milwaukee’s Greg Brock led off with a double. The Brewers tied the score against relief ace Jeff Reardon (1-2), who allowed a run-scoring double to Jim Gantner, Paul Molitor’s run-scoring single and Robin Yount’s game-tying single--all with two out.

However, Milwaukee’s Chuck Crim (6-4) walked Jim Dwyer with two out in the bottom of the ninth before Gaetti connected.

Seattle 8, Toronto 2--Jay Buhner hit a two-run triple as the Mariners scored three runs in the first inning on their way to beating the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Scott Bankhead (4-4) allowed four hits in seven innings, struck out three and walked four.

Toronto’s Frank Wills (0-1) yielded five runs on six hits in five innings.

Edgar Martinez hit a solo homer in the second and Greg Briley added a bases-empty shot in the fourth as the Mariners built a 7-1 lead.

Boston 7, Chicago 4--Luis Rivera had four singles and Joe Price earned his first AL victory by pitching the Red Sox past the White Sox at Chicago.

Five of Boston’s seven runs off Steve Rosenberg (2-3) were unearned as the Red Sox equaled their longest win streak of the season at three straight.

Price (1-2) allowed five hits in six innings. Two of the hits were two-run homers by Fred Manrique and Ivan Calderon.