American League Roundup : Cary, Just Doing His Job, Blanks Orioles

It wasn’t Chuck Cary’s intention to prolong the race in the American League East when he pitched seven strong innings to give the New York Yankees a 2-0 victory over the Orioles Sunday at Baltimore. He wasn’t out there to hurt Baltimore any more than he was out there to help Toronto. That’s not his concern.

“I’m not trying to win a game just so the Orioles don’t win a pennant,” Cary said. “One of my best friends, Bob Melvin, is in that clubhouse, and I’d like nothing more than for him to win it. But I’m pitching for myself. I’ve got to think about next year.”

Baltimore is still thinking about this year. “We’re one out with six games to go,” said Oriole starter Jeff Ballard, the league’s winningest left-hander. “I think it’s still anybody’s title.”

Ballard’s record fell to 18-8 after he won seven of his last eight decisions.

The Orioles dropped two of three to the Yankees this weekend, but remained one game behind Toronto as a result of the Blue Jays’ loss at Milwaukee. The Orioles and Blue Jays each have six games left, including three in Toronto to close the season.

It was only the third time the Orioles lost a home series in 16 dates since mid-June.

A crowd of 51,173 attended Baltimore’s final home game of the season, giving the Orioles a record season attendance total of 2,534,875. The Orioles drew 2,132,387 in 1985.

Milwaukee 8, Toronto 3--Joey Meyer’s three-run double broke a sixth-inning tie and sent the Brewers on their way to a victory over the Blue Jays in Milwaukee, keeping the Brewers’ very slight playoff hopes alive in the East.

Call the Brewers spoilers if you will. “Spoiler is a pretty good term, because in order to be a spoiler, you have to win,” said Milwaukee Manager Tom Trebelhorn, whose team travels to Baltimore while Toronto heads to Detroit.

“It’s a little easier to swallow when the Orioles lose,” Toronto Manager Cito Gaston said. “We just hope they (Milwaukee) do well in the next couple of games here.”

The third-place Brewers won two of three and pulled to within 5 1/2 games of Toronto.

Meyer’s two-out drive hit the top of the left-field wall and put Milwaukee ahead, 5-2. Robin Yount singled with one out, Rob Deer walked and Greg Vaughn beat out a grounder to short. Meyer cleared the bases on a 3 and 1 pitch and chased starter John Cerutti.

Tom Filer (7-3), gave up two runs on six hits in six innings. Chuck Crim went three innings for his seventh save.

Kansas City 4, Seattle 1--Bo Jackson hit a two-run triple to keep the Royals’ slim hopes of winning the West alive with a victory over the Mariners at Kansas City.

The Royals, shut out on four hits in losing the first two games of the series, remained 5 1/2 games behind Oakland and pulled into a second-place tie with the Angels.

The Mariners made nine errors during the four-game series.

Boston 4, Detroit 2--Wade Boggs got two hits and scored two runs as the Red Sox won at Detroit.

Boggs, trying to become the first player to get 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons, has 197 hits and 103 walks. Lou Gehrig is the only other player to accomplish the feat three consecutive years.

“It’s more of a novelty than anything else,” Boggs said. “It’s something you can look back on during the off-season.”

Texas 5, Chicago 4--Rookie Dean Palmer hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to lead the Rangers past the White Sox at Arlington, Tex.