AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Stewart Keeps April Streak Going as Athletics Beat Orioles, 7-1

It’s not enough that Dave Stewart is still winning in April, he’s pitching better than ever in the first month of the season.

Stewart extended his April winning streak to 18 in the Oakland Athletics’ 7-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Baltimore.

Mark McGwire hit two home runs and drove in five runs as the Athletics improved their record to 10-3.

Stewart (4-0) was 5-0 last year in April and was 6-0 in April of 1988. His last loss in the month was April 15, 1987. He won his next three starts to begin the streak.

Each of the past three years the fast starts sent Stewart on his way to 20-victory seasons.

The worst performance by Stewart this season was his first game, in which he gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings in an 8-3 victory over Seattle. In the other three starts he has given up only a run in each.

“As long as it’s going, I want it to continue, “ Stewart said. “But I try not to think about it.”

In 19 games at Baltimore, McGwire has hit 10 home runs and driven in 25 runs.

“They were both breaking balls,” McGwire said. “I saw the ball well and this is a good hitter’s park.

“I don’t want to know what my numbers are. Numbers mean zero. There are too many numbers in baseball. You can throw them out as far as I’m concerned. I just go out and play.”

Carney Lansford had three hits for the A’s, who are 6-0 on the road, the only unbeaten team on the road.

Rickey Henderson of the A’s was ejected for arguing a called strike in the first inning.

Toronto 4, Cleveland 3--Kelly Gruber hit two home runs and drove in all the Blue Jays’ runs at Toronto.

Gruber leads the major leagues in homers with six.

The Blue Jays’ Tony Fernandez tripled in the second inning and has hit in all 14 games.

Milwaukee 7, Kansas City 3--Chris Bosio is not quite as successful in April as Oakland’s Dave Stewart, but he isn’t too bad.

With Dave Parker hitting a three-run home run at Milwaukee, Bosio improved his record in April to 12-2.

Bosio (2-0) gave up seven hits and three runs in seven innings.

Kansas City reliever Jeff Montgomery hit Rob Deer with a pitch in the eighth and Milwaukee’s Chuck Crim retaliated against Frank White on the first pitch in the ninth. The benches emptied, but no punches were thrown. Crim was ejected.

New York 6, Seattle 2--After losing all five games on their trip, the Yankees returned home to snap their slump.

Left-hander Dave LaPoint, coming back from shoulder surgery, went 6 2/3 innings and gained his first victory since June. LaPoint gave up a run and six hits.

The big blow on offense was a three-run home run by Jesse Barfield in a five-run first inning. Barfield was hitless in his last 13 at-bats and was batting .192.

The victory came after pitcher Pascual Perez ripped his teammates for lackadaisical play and after Manager Bucky Dent’s 15-minute, closed-door meeting before the game.

“I’m going to get after them to make sure they play the game the right way,” Dent said.

“I don’t like what I see,” the right-handed starter said of the Yankees. “Too many guys are joking around on the bench and not paying enough attention to the game. There has to be more dedication, more aggressiveness. That’s the only way we’re going to win.”

Perez, who signed a $5.7-million contract with the club last November as a free agent, would not name names, saying only his remarks applied to “just a few” players. He immediately excluded first baseman Don Mattingly, second baseman Steve Sax and outfielder Dave Winfield.

“Those guys work hard,” he said. “But you don’t win with just a few guys playing hard.” He added: “We’re not supposed to get beat up by teams like Cleveland and Texas.”

Perez, 1-1 despite not having allowed an earned run, said he’s trying to lead by example.

“I’m always watching the game,” he said. “And I’m always ready to do anything, pinch-run, pinch-hit, field. I want to play. And I want to win. I don’t like losing. I give everything I have, all my heart, to winning.”

Minnesota 16, Detroit 4--Gene Larkin and Kent Hrbek each drove in three runs to lead the Twins at Minneapolis.

Larkin doubled twice, singled twice and scored twice. The Twins, who had 19 hits, have won five of six games.

John Candelaria pitched five innings of relief for the victory.

Larkin, after batting .267 last year, has hit in 12 of 14 games, is batting .358 and has driven in eight runs.

Texas 5, Chicago 4--Eric King held the Rangers to two hits in seven innings at Arlington, Tex., but didn’t get a victory because the White Sox bullpen collapsed in the ninth.

Pete Incaviglia hit a two-run homer off Bob Thigpen in the ninth as the Rangers scored five runs.

Thigpen took the mound with a run in, one out, one on and the White Sox leading, 4-1. Ruben Sierra homered, Harold Baines walked and Incaviglia followed with his third home run.

The Rangers’ Kenny Rogers pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the victory.