AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Another 4-0 One-Hitter in Detroit

If last weekend was the time for no-hitters, this is the weekend for one-hitters.

Kevin Appier, a 22-year-old right-hander from Antelope Valley, Saturday night made it two consecutive 4-0 one-hitters at Detroit.

The Kansas City rookie wasn’t as close to perfect as the Tigers’ Jack Morris had been Friday night, but he turned in a magnificent performance in the Royals’ 4-0 victory.

Morris have given up a single to Kurt Stillwell, the second batter he faced, then was perfect the rest of the 4-0 victory.

Appier, in his ninth start since joining the rotation in late May, gave up a leadoff single to Lou Whitaker. Except for four walks, he matched Morris.

Stillwell didn’t have the only Kansas City hit in this game, but he had the big one. His bases-loaded single in the third inning drove in two runs and gave Appier all he needed.

“It’s kind of spooky to have the same kind of games two nights in a row,” Kansas City Manager John Wathan said. “But Kevin pitched a great game. He had all his pitches working.

“He didn’t have the control Morris had, but otherwise he was just as great. He has been one of our most consistent pitchers.”

Appier has a 4-3 record, and the Royals expect big things of him. He was born in Lancaster and went to Antelope Valley High School, Antelope Valley College and Fresno State.

The Royals brought him up late last season, which he finished with a 1-4 record and a 9.14 earned-run average, but the Royals, who had made him the ninth player selected in the 1987 June draft, knew he was a prospect.

“I think I had good stuff,” Appier said. “I walked some guys but, fortunately, I worked out of those situations.

“I know what I did, but it hasn’t hit me yet. I’m not awed. I expect so much of myself that I’m never awed by myself. I’m a perfectionist. A lot of people in my family are the same way.”

Texas 7, Boston 4--With Mike Boddicker and Nolan Ryan on the mound at Arlington, Tex., this game had figured to be a pitchers’ duel.

But Boddicker (11-4), who had won 10 games in a row, couldn’t make it through the sixth inning, while Ryan made it through seven to get his 297th victory.

Ryan (8-4) settled after giving up three runs in the first inning. He struck out 12.

Pete Incaviglia hit two home runs, and Ruben Sierra had another as the Rangers battled back from the 3-0 deficit.

With Boddicker not at his best, the Red Sox lost their third game in a row, and their lead in the East--which was 4 1/2 games several days ago--was cut to a half-game over Toronto.

Cleveland 1, Oakland 0--Less than 24 hours after they had hammered seven home runs in the second game of a doubleheader at Cleveland, the Athletics couldn’t touch Bud Black.

The left-hander held the predominantly right-handed-hitting A’s to two singles. He retired the first 13 and the last 11 batters he faced. During the interim, Rickey Henderson and Carney Lansford got the hits.

Curt Young (4-3) also pitched well. But Chris James singled home a run in the fourth inning, and with Black in top form, that was the game for the Indians.

The heart of the A’s lineup--Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Dave Henderson--went 0 for 10.

Baltimore 4, Chicago 1--Tim Hulett tripled in two runs, and John Mitchell picked up his first victory in almost three years in this game at Chicago.

Mitchell, who had last won on Aug. 5, 1987 when he was with the New York Mets, held the White Sox to seven hits in eight innings. Gregg Olson pitched a perfect ninth to keep the White Sox from increasing their lead in the West.

Toronto 4, Seattle 2--With Jimmy Key returning to form and joining David Wells and Dave Stieb to give the Blue Jays excellent pitching, Toronto seems ready for a second-half drive.

Key, hit hard in his two previous starts, held the Mariners to three hits in seven innings at Toronto, and the Blue Jays won their fifth game in a row.

Key gave up a two-run home run to Jeffrey Leonard in the first inning and was almost perfect after that.

George Bell drove in three runs, including two on a first-inning single.

Duane Ward pitched two hitless innings to get his seventh save.

New York 5, Minnesota 4--Seldom-used utility infielder Wayne Tolleson singled with two out in the 12th inning at New York, then scored the winning run on Roberto Kelley’s single to left field.