American League Roundup : Orioles Beat Ryan Again, 8-3, Then Win, 9-6, for Sweep Against Rangers

The Baltimore Orioles continued their mastery of Nolan Ryan Thursday night, improving to 9-0 in Ryan’s last 12 starts against them, with an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader at Arlington, Tex.

In the second game, Steve Finley keyed a five-run second inning with a two-run triple as the Orioles completed a sweep, 9-6, and moved within 1 1/2 games of Toronto in the American League East.

Mike Devereaux hit a three-run homer and knocked in five runs in the opener for the Orioles, who saw 16 players go down on strikeouts, including Phil Bradley five times.

The Rangers used a club-record 23 players, including six pitchers.

Ryan (15-10) allowed seven runs and nine hits, both season-highs, walked four and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings. With only four remaining starts likely, Ryan’s hopes for a 20-win season are virtually over.

The Orioles raised their record against the Rangers this season to 8-1 and have beaten Ryan all three times they’ve faced him.

Ryan trailed, 4-3, in the seventh, but he’d thrown 130 pitches in six innings.

Ryan struck out the side in the fourth, the 300th time he has done so in his career.

In the nightcap, rookie Pete Harnish (4-8) was pitching a four-hit shutout before running into problems in the sixth. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases, and Harnish was replaced by Mark Thurmond.

Juan Gonzalez drove in a run with a single, and Fred Manrique followed with a two-run single as the Rangers got within 7-3.

The Orioles pounded Ranger starter Bobby Witt (10-13) for five runs and six hits in the second inning.

Stan Jefferson, Jamie Quirk, Devereaux and Cal Ripken all had RBI singles in the inning, and Finley hit a two-run triple into the right-field corner to chase Witt after 1 2/3 innings.

Toronto 12, Cleveland 4--George Bell hit a three-run double, and Lloyd Moseby had three hits, including a leadoff home run, as the Blue Jays beat the Indians in a rain-delayed game at Cleveland.

Mookie Wilson also had three of the Blue Jays’ 17 hits.

John Cerutti (11-8) gave up two runs on five hits in five innings. Both runs and four of the hits came in the fifth, immediately after a thunderstorm interrupted the game for 1 hour 33 minutes.

Jim Acker pitched the sixth, allowing Paul Zuvella’s solo homer, and he was followed by three relievers.

Tom Candiotti (12-8) lasted only 1 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on six hits.

New York 6, Seattle 4--Don Mattingly’s two-run single keyed a six-run rally in the eighth inning as the Yankees rallied to beat the Mariners at Seattle for their eighth straight victory.

With New York trailing, 3-0, in the eighth, Steve Balboni drew a leadoff walk, and Seattle starter Scott Bankhead was relieved by Mike Schooler.

Schooler (1-6) walked two batters and allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. After a ground-out, pinch-hitter Don Slaught singled home a run to make it 3-2, before Steve Sax’s bloop single to right tied the game.

Alvaro Espinoza singled to load the bases and send Schooler from the game in favor of Keith Comstock. Mattingly, getting a hit in his 12th straight game, greeted Comstock with a single to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead, and Balboni followed with a sacrifice fly for the final Yankee run.

Goose Gossage (1-0) pitched one-third of an inning in the seventh to earn his first American League victory since Oct. 1, 1983.

Lance McCullers gave up a run-scoring ground-out to Dave Valle in the eighth for Seattle’s final run before Dave Righetti came on in the ninth for his 23rd save. The game ended quickly for Seattle, due to a baserunning blunder by Harold Reynolds, who was doubled off first after Mel Hall made a running catch of Alvin Davis’ long fly to right field.

Former Yankee Henry Cotto homered to center field off New York starter Greg Cadaret in the first to put the Mariners ahead, 1-0.