AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Glenn Davis Makes the Most of Return to Texas

After being beaten 9-1 and 2-0 by the Chicago White Sox in their first two games of the season, the Orioles were glad to get out of Baltimore.

And Glenn Davis was glad to get back to Texas.

Davis, who spent his entire major league career with the Houston Astors before being traded to Baltimore last winter, drove in two runs Friday night at Arlington, Tex., as the Orioles beat the Rangers, 3-0.

Dave Johnson held them to four hits in 6 1/3 innings and the Orioles found a team they could beat.

The Rangers, shut out by the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday night, are scoreless in their last 19 innings.

Hard-throwing Bobby Witt, who walked six and struck out seven in seven innings, walked the bases loaded in the first inning and Davis’ infield out produced a run. In the fifth, Davis doubled home Cal Ripken.

Johnson had a two-hitter with one out in the seventh, then gave up consecutive singles and was replaced.

While the Orioles were winning their first game, the Rangers fell to 0-3.

“Tell me about Dave Johnson,” Oriole Manager Frank Robinson said. “He was excellent, just what we needed.

“When he had to make the pitch, he made it. He doesn’t impress you. He doesn’t have a great breaking ball. But he finds a way to win.”

Last year, Johnson was especially effective after a loss, getting nine of his victories in that situation.

“I wasn’t thinking about that,” Johnson said. “All I wanted to do was go out and get the hitters. I feel pretty good about it.”

Chicago 4, Detroit 1--Carlton Fisk singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning at Detroit to give the White Sox their third victory in a row.

Alex Fernandez held the Tigers to five hits in 7 1/3 innings before Bobby Thigpen retired the last five batters.

Thigpen, who had a major league record 57 saves last season, has two in three games.

Fisk, 43, lined a full-count pitch to left to drive in pinch-runner Joey Cora from second.

Tim Raines, who started the season hitless in his first 11 at-bats, doubled in the third for his first American League hit. He had 1,598 in the National League.

Fisk got the game-winning hit off Mike Henneman.

“I wish he would just go on to the Hall of Fame,” Henneman said. “He’s beaten me with a big hit three times, all on different pitches.”

Toronto 5, Milwaukee 4--Rookie Mark Whiten led off the 10th inning with a home run off bullpen ace Dan Plesac at Toronto to give the Blue Jays their fourth victory in five games.

The Blue Jays trailed with two out in the ninth, but former Angel Devon White singled home Glenallen Hill from third base to send the game into extra innings.

Kansas City 9, New York 4--Rookie Terry Shumpert drove in three runs and Kurt Stillwell had four hits and scored three runs at Kansas City.

Shumpert, a replacement at second base for eight-time Gold Glove winner Frank White, delivered a two-run single in the third inning and walked with the bases loaded in the second inning.

The Yankees, who blew a 3-0 lead against Detroit Thursday night, also lost a 3-0 lead in this one.

Oakland 6, Seattle 1--After winning two of their first three games, the Athletics faced the Mariners at Oakland without Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson.

But Harold Baines delivered a three-run double in the fourth inning and Mike Moore turned in a strong outing in his first start of the season.

The Mariners are 0-4 and have scored only four runs, only one in the last 23 innings.

The A’s had 13 hits, three of them by Walt Weiss. Lance Blankenship, Canseco’s replacement, had two hits.