AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Rangers’ Downing Is Off to Eight-for-11 Start

Brian Downing, rejected by the Angels and everybody else until the Texas Rangers signed him in late March, is off to one of the fastest starts any hitter ever had.

Downing went four for five and drove in a run Tuesday at Cleveland to lead the Rangers to a 3-1 victory over the Indians.

A broken bone in Downing’s right hand cut short his spring training and delayed his debut until Saturday.

In his first two games, Downing reached base eight times in 10 trips to the plate. He had a home run to help Nolan Ryan win Sunday, three singles, two walks and was hit twice.

So, the player nobody wanted is eight for 11 and batting .727.

“I was packing for a motorcycle trip into Nevada,” he said of the period before he was signed, “and had shut down my training. When everybody turns you down, what else can you do?

“All I asked of anybody was to invite me to camp. If I couldn’t play, I would have left, no strings attached.

“I’m so happy the Rangers gave me a chance. Even if I was 0 for 5, it would feel great to be wearing a big league uniform again.”

The Angels weren’t even interested in letting Downing, who joined them in 1978 as a catcher, go to salary arbitration.

Downing’s hitting helped Kevin Brown get his first victory since July. Brown, winless in seven consecutive outings, gave up three hits in seven-plus innings. He had a no-hitter until Albert Belle singled with two outs in the sixth.

Chicago 4, New York 3--It’s getting a little tougher, but the White Sox are still the only unbeaten team in the majors.

They had to go 10 innings at New York to extend their winning streak to six, after they blew a 3-0 lead in the sixth.

With two out in the 10th, Lance Johnson singled against Steve Farr, who had been superb in relief, and Robin Ventura hit an opposite-field double to left to score him.

Melido Perez, who pitched a rain shortened six-inning no-hitter against the Yankees in July, held them hitless through four innings in his first start of the season.

Perez, who missed a start because of a rib injury, tired in the sixth, but the bullpen didn’t stop the Yankees.

Scott Radinsky got the last out in the ninth to win it and Bobby Thigpen retired the Yankees in the 10th for his fourth save.

“You know we’ll lose a game sooner or later,” White Sox Manager Jeff Torborg said. “I’ve never known an undefeated baseball team.”

Boston 5, Kansas City 2--Danny Darwin, shelled last week in his debut for the Red Sox, was much better at Boston.

Darwin, who gave up six runs in 1O innings last Thursday against Cleveland, evened his record.

Tom Brunansky, Wade Boggs and Mike Marshall hit home runs and Darwin gave up only two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings. Jeff Reardon pitched the ninth for his first save.

“I felt I let everyone down last week,” said the 35-year-old right-hander, who signed an $11.8-million, four-year contract. “I wanted them to know it wasn’t the real Danny Darwin.”

Detroit 6, Toronto 2--Travis Fryman hit a three-run home run at Detroit and Rob Deer hit a double and triple to emerge from a one-for-18 slump.

Bill Gullickson gave up two runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings before he was hit on the pitching hand by Mark Whiten’s line drive. Gullickson left the game, but the extent of his injury was not known.

Fryman singled to start a three-run fifth, then hit his first home run in the eighth.

The first hit off Gullickson was Greg Myers’ home run in the third.

Seattle 3, Minnesota 0--Brian Holman survived a rocky start to pitch a five-hitter and Edgar Martinez hit a two-run home run at Seattle.

Holman, in pitching his first shutout in two years, gave up only one hit after the third inning.

Pete O’Brien hit a home run in the eighth inning.