AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Righetti Helps Merrill Get His First Win

Right after he won his first game as manager of the New York Yankees, Stump Merrill rushed to shake hands with an old friend--Dave Righetti.

It was appropriate that Righetti was the one to preserve the Yankees’ 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles Sunday at Baltimore, because he and Merrill worked together in double-A ball at West Haven in the late 1970s.

“He’s the perfect guy to close it out for me,” Merrill said. “He started with me when I started my career. . . When I brought him in today, that’s what went through my mind, that he would get the save of my first win.”

Righetti gave up one hit in the ninth inning to earn his 11th save and help the Yankees end an eight-game losing streak. He also appreciated the irony of the situation.

“I’ve known him for a long time and he’s earned his way up here,” Righetti said. “A lot of people are making fun of us because the Yankees aren’t doing well and they make a change and bring in a guy by the name of Stump. But he’s earned the job and deserves to be here.”

After Merrill took over for Bucky Dent on Wednesday, New York had lost twice to Boston and twice to the Orioles. To say Merrill enjoyed the victory is a vast understatement.

“Now we can relax and play some baseball,” Merrill said. “Every time I turned around someone was asking me when the streak was going to end. Well, it’s behind us.”

Merrill isn’t the only person who will always remember the day. Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 1,307th straight game, putting him in a tie for second with Everett Scott behind Lou Gehrig (2,130 games) on baseball’s all-time list of consecutive games played.

“I didn’t set out to play in this many,” Ripken said. “My main goal was to just go out and play every day when I got to the big leagues.

“The most you can play is 162 and then you get four months off like everybody else,” Ripken added. “It’s a streak of consecutive years of playing every game, not a streak of 1,300 games.”

The Orioles, who had been at .500 for the first time since April 24, saw their four-game winning streak end. Baltimore entered the game having won seven of eight and 11 of 15.

Oakland 3, Kansas City 2--Bob Welch settled down after a shaky start to win his sixth consecutive decision and the Athletics completed a three-game sweep at Oakland.

The Royals lost their sixth in a row and fell 16 games behind the American League West-leading Athletics. Oakland won for the fifth time in six games and improved to 38-17, the best record in baseball.

The Athletics again played without right fielder Jose Canseco. He is out of the lineup with a disk problem that is causing back pain, and team doctor Allan Pont said that he could not predict when Canseco will return.

Welch (9-2) tied teammate Dave Stewart for the second-highest victory total in the league, one behind Boston’s Roger Clemens. Welch gave up two runs on four hits in the first inning, but then shut out the Royals on three hits until Dennis Eckersley relieved with two outs in the eighth.

Eckersley gave up a single to Kevin Seitzer that loaded the bases before Rey Palacios struck out. Eckersley got his 20th save in 20 opportunities. Welch is 27-8 at the Oakland Coliseum.

Chicago 5, Minnesota 3--Ivan Calderon hit a two-run homer to help the White Sox complete their first three-game sweep at Minnesota in 11 years.

Bobby Thipgen saved all three victories. The last time the White Sox swept the Twins in Minnesota was Sept. 25-27, 1979, at Metropolitan Stadium.

Chicago, second in the West, has won 11 of its last 15 games. Minnesota has lost four in a row.

Calderon’s sixth homer of the season put Chicago ahead, 2-0, in the third. The White Sox made it 4-0 in the fourth on Lance Johnson’s RBI double and Robin Ventura’s run-scoring single.

The Twins scored twice in the eighth on a single by Jim Dwyer, his 100th career pinch-hit, and an RBI double by pinch-hitter Kent Hrbek with two outs.

Chicago’s Ozzie Guillen went three for four to increase his league-leading batting average to .352.

Toronto 13, Milwaukee 5--The Blue Jays scored 10 runs in the fourth inning at Milwaukee, the biggest outburst ever against the Brewers--who suffered their 14th loss in 18 games.

George Bell, Junior Felix and Mookie Wilson each drove in two runs as the Blue Jays used seven hits, four walks and an error for the second-biggest inning in team history. They scored 11 against Seattle in 1984.

“I’ve seen quite a few games with 10- or 12-run innings, but it’s something you don’t see every day,” Wilson said.

“We’ve all gone through innings like that, so you know what the other team is going through. But you you don’t go up there trying to make outs.”

Toronto also had the biggest previous inning against Milwaukee, scoring nine runs in an inning in 1987.

Cleveland 4, Boston 0--Tom Candiotti pitched five-hit ball for 8 1/3 innings at Boston and the Indians ended their six-game losing streak and Boston’s seven-game winning streak.

Candiotti (6-3) struck out two and walked one. He was going for his first shutout since 1987, but was replaced by Doug Jones after a double and single in the ninth. Jones retired two batters for his 19th save.

Cleveland scored the only run Candiotti needed in the second inning when Cory Snyder singled, took third on Brook Jacoby’s bloop single to right-center field and scored when Joel Skinner grounded into a double play.

Boston loaded the bases on an error, a single by Wade Boggs and a walk in the third, but Tom Brunansky ended the inning by grounding into a force play at second.

Detroit 4, Seattle 3--Mark Salas got his first hit in 20 at-bats, a solo home run that broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth-inning to help Jack Morris beat the Mariners at Detroit.

Morris (5-7) won his third decision in a row. He gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. Mike Henneman pitched the last two innings for his 15th save.

Salas hit his second homer of the season, connecting with two outs off Brian Holman (7-4). It was Salas’ fourth hit of the season and first since May 6.