AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Welch Earns His 20th Victory Faster Than Anyone Since 1973

A seven-run burst in the fifth inning Friday night at Baltimore enabled Bob Welch to reach 20 victories quicker than any pitcher since 1973.

A three-run home run by Mark McGwire capped the big inning that helped give the Oakland Athletics an 8-3 victory and improve the right-hander’s record to 20-4. Wilbur Wood of the Chicago White Sox won No. 20 on July 29, 1973. Wood was 24-20 that year.

Welch, 33, who won 17 in each of the last two seasons, had never won 20 in 12 major league seasons. The way the game started out, it didn’t appear this would be the night.

While John Mitchell held the Athletics to one hit through four innings, Welch gave up two runs in the second. The first was a towering home run by Sam Horn.

Ron Hassey started the fifth with a single, and before the Athletics, who have won 12 of their last 15, were through, Welch had plenty of margin for error. Felix Jose had two of his three hits in the inning.

Welch gave up Cal Ripken’s 15th home run in the eighth. Dennis Eckersley worked the ninth after Welch, who has won seven of his last eight starts, gave up nine hits.

“The best part of being a 20-game winner is that we’re in first place,” Welch said. “That makes it really special.

“I’ve set out to win 20 games every season. It just happens that this is the first time I ever did it. It feels good because I’m helping the team win the pennant.”

Manager Tony La Russa likes the team-first idea, but he obviously was happy for Welch.

“The goal is to win the division,” La Russa said. “Everybody is just trying to do their two cents’ worth and Welch has done a heck of a lot more than that.”

The Athletics, as if they needed any more help, welcomed Jose Canseco back to the lineup.

Canseco had a double in four at-bats and scored a run. Rickey Henderson, still limping because of the hamstring problem, was one for three, scored a run and drove in another.

New York 3, Seattle 2--Luck hasn’t been with Andy Hawkins.

He pitched a no-hitter July 1 and lost. In this game at New York, he didn’t yield a hit through 6 1/3 innings and didn’t get the victory.

Hawkins worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning and had a 2-0 lead. But, with one out in the seventh, he issued his fifth walk and Seattle third baseman Edgar Martinez, later to become the goat, hit his 10th home run to tie the game, 2-2. When Scott Bradley followed with a single, Hawkins was replaced.

Lee Guetterman (8-4) gained the win when the Yankees broke the tie in the eighth. Oscar Azocar opened with a bloop double. Two outs later, pinch-hitter Rick Cerone hit a slow roller to third. Martinez had plenty of time after fielding the ball, but threw it over first baseman Pete O’Brien’s head.

Hawkins, whose record remains at 3-10, wasn’t happy with Manager Stump Merrill’s decision to remove him. “They don’t pay me to agree with the manager,” he said.

Merrill said he believed Hawkins was tiring.

Toronto 5, Minnesota 1--Twenty victories is also within reach of Dave Stieb, the 33-year-old right-hander of the Blue Jays. He’s won 17 three times.

In this game at Minneapolis, he improved his record to 16-4 by limiting the Twins to two hits through six shutout innings. It is the sixth time Stieb, who retired 17 of 18 in one stretch, has won at least 16. In his last 14 starts, Stieb has given up only 14 earned runs while going at least six innings in all of them.

The Blue Jays are 4-0 in the Metrodome this season.

Detroit 3, Cleveland 0--Increasing his league-leading totals, Cecil Fielder of the Tigers hit his 38th home run and drove in all three runs at Detroit. He leads the majors in home runs by four over Canseco and he leads in runs batted in with 98.

Jack Morris (10-15) pitched a six-hitter for only his second victory in his last eight starts. Morris is 17-1 against the Indians at Tiger Stadium.

Milwaukee 2, Kansas City 1--Teddy Higuera gave up a run and four hits in seven innings at Milwaukee and the Brewers won for the fourth consecutive time to equal their best streak of the season. It was Higuera’s first victory since July 5.

Rob Deer hit his 23rd home run. Dan Plesac got the last out for his 20th save.