American League Roundup : Bell Picks Up the Slack Again for Blue Jays, 7-3

For most of the season, Fred McGriff was the Toronto Blue Jays’ most valuable player. But with the pennant on the line, it is George Bell, once the target of Toronto boo birds, who is leading the team.

McGriff has not hit a home run in the last 22 games, and the Blue Jays have struggled for runs.

Meanwhile, Bell’s bat has boomed. The two runs he drove in Friday night at Milwaukee to help the Blue Jays beat the Brewers, 7-3, came on grounders, but he has made most of his big hits this month. Although he has a nerve problem in his right elbow, he’s still swinging.

With the Orioles losing, the Blue Jays moved two games in front in the American League East, the closest race remaining. Both teams have eight games to play. They will play their final three games of the season at Baltimore.

While going 4-5 in their previous nine games, the Blue Jays scored only 26 runs. They pounded out 17 hits in this game. Only McGriff (0 for 4) failed to contribute.

Manny Lee was three for five and drove in three runs, and Mookie Wilson went three for six to end a four-for-35 slump.

Dave Stieb (16-8) is another Blue Jay who has starred in the stretch run. He gave up a run and seven hits in seven innings to beat the Brewers for the fifth consecutive time.

Stieb was tough on the hot hitters. Bill Spiers, batting .391 in his previous 12 games, was one for five, and Robin Yount, batting .378 in his last nine games, was one for four.

“I didn’t have my best stuff in the cold, windy weather,” Stieb said. “But I seem to be lucky when I face the Brewers.

“I never felt I got into a good rhythm. It was a battle almost every inning. I had to pick my pitches and do the best I could with them.”

The Brewers scored two runs off Jim Acker in the eighth, but Tom Henke pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two.

Lee, Lloyd Moseby and Wilson drove in runs with singles in the four-run fourth inning that made a loser of former Dodger Jerry Reuss (9-8).

New York 5, Baltimore 4--Things were looking pretty good for the Orioles at Baltimore. They scored four unearned runs in the fourth inning to tie the score and were on a roll.

But Mel Hall, in an 0-for-16 slump, tagged Brian Holton for his 15th home run of the season to win it.

Earlier, Steve Balboni and third baseman Randy Velarde, whose error set up the Orioles’ unearned runs, hit home runs off Dave Johnson.

Walt Terrell (5-5), who had an earned-run average of 6.45 entering the game, was the winner.

“I just want to keep trying to win,” said Steve Sax, who had three of the Yankee hits. “It’s more fun going for the pennant, but you keep on trying.”

Kansas City 9-0, Seattle 2-2--When Bret Saberhagen gave up only three hits in seven innings to become the majors’ first 21-game winner with his ninth consecutive victory in the opener of a doubleheader at Kansas City, the Royals’ hopes were high.

But then Bill Swift and two relief pitchers held the Royals to two hits and gave the Mariners a split.

With only eight games remaining, the Royals trail Oakland in the West by 5 1/2 games.

“I did my best imitation of Bret Saberhagen,” Swift said after improving to 7-3.

The Royals lost when Tom Gordon (16-9) walked four in 1 1/3 innings and gave up both runs.

Saberhagen, who lowered his ERA to a league-leading 2.27 in the opener, has nearly clinched the Cy Young Award.

Saberhagen is 17-2 since May 19, has won 12 of his last 13 starts and has given up only four hits in the last 14 innings.

The doubleheader drew 29,286 fans, enabling the Royals to set an attendance record of 2,418,080 with two home games left.

Boston 9, Detroit 7--The Tigers built a 6-0 lead after four innings at Detroit, then fell apart.

After chasing Doyle Alexander with three runs in the sixth, the Red Sox went ahead with four in the seventh. A passed ball by catcher John Marzano enabled the Tigers to tie the score in the eighth, but Marzano made amends. His sacrifice fly drove in the winning run in the ninth.

The Tigers need to win six of their last eight games to avoid losing 100 for the first time in their history.

Chicago 9, Texas 6--Rookie Carlos Martinez doubled home the winning run in the ninth inning at Arlington, Tex., after the White Sox wasted a 5-1 lead.

Former Dodger Shawn Hillegas couldn’t hold the lead. Pete Incaviglia hit his 20th home run to tie the score in the eighth.