AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Fielder Homers, Tigers Lose Again

The Detroit Tigers, desperately in need of a right-handed power hitter after winning only 59 games last season, lured Cecil Fielder back from Japan.

Fielder, who spent parts of four seasons with Toronto, hit 38 home runs in 106 games. The Tigers are paying him $3 million for two years.

Although Fielder appears to be earning his pay, the Tigers are still losing most of the time.

Fielder improved his major league leads to 12 home runs and 28 runs batted in Tuesday night at Milwaukee, but the Tigers lost to Milwaukee, 7-5. The Tigers have won only nine of 28 games.

Rob Deer and Paul Molitor hit home runs, and the Brewers (16-8) increased their lead in the East to two games.

Fielder’s home run in the second inning gave the Tigers a short-lived lead.

“The year I spent in Japan was awesome,” Fielder said. “I didn’t have to press like I did when I was with the Blue Jays and being platooned. I knew I would be there no matter what. I’m a relaxed player now.”

Manager Sparky Anderson expects Fielder to hit at least 30 home runs.

“He does have confidence after that year at Japan,” Anderson said. “The way he hits the ball to right-center, they can’t hold him under 30.

“He’s going to strike out a lot. One thing I like about him is that he’ll keep swinging. He doesn’t let strikeouts bother him.”

Kansas City 10, Texas 5--Nolan Ryan went into this game at Arlington, Tex., with a 4-1 record, and American League hitters were batting only .150 against him. But Gerald Perry’s first grand slam led to the earliest departure by the 43-year-old right-hander in five years.

Ryan retired only two batters. He gave up three hits, six runs and walked four. In his previous outing, Ryan gave up five runs in the first inning. Before that he won his first four starts.

“It was the best I warmed up all year, but I couldn’t throw my fastball for strikes,” Ryan said. “It’s disappointing not to do your job.”

Ryan still needs six victories for 300 in his career.

The Royals’ Mark Gubicza ended a four-game losing streak, giving up four runs in seven innings.

Oakland 5, New York 0--The Athletics, after winning the World Series last year, really didn’t need much. But when Storm Davis signed as a free agent with Kansas City, management decided another starting pitcher was needed.

They picked up Scott Sanderson, a 33-year-old right-hander who became a free agent after an 11-9 record with the Chicago Cubs.

Sanderson improved his record to 4-1 with a strong performance at Oakland. He gave up six hits in 6 1/3 innings, and Gene Nelson retired the last eight batters to get his second save.

Mark McGwire, who had been hitless in 18 at-bats, singled in two runs in the first inning and the Athletics went on to improve their record to 20-6 with their eighth victory in nine games.

The Yankees are 2-11 against right-handers.

Chicago 4, Toronto 1--Ron Kittle hit two home runs, and relief pitcher Bobby Thigpen worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning at Toronto.

John Cerutti retired the first two Chicago batters on two pitches. But he walked the next batter and Kittle hit a home run. The White Sox have outscored their opponents, 25-2, in the first inning of their 23 games.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the eighth and Thigpen took over. He struck out pinch-hitter Junior Felix and John Olerud and disposed of Rance Mulliniks on a fly ball. Thigpen breezed through the ninth for his seventh save.

Minnesota 6, Cleveland 5--Gary Gaetti singled home the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning at Minneapolis after the Twins overcame a five-run deficit.

Reliever Juan Berenguer (2-0) held the Indians hitless for 3 2/3 innings and Rick Aguilera pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Seattle 2, Boston 1--Harold Reynolds doubled home the winning run with one out in the ninth inning at Seattle.

Bill Swift (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory.