AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Real Stewart Returns to Form for Athletics

The real Dave Stewart showed up Wednesday night at Arlington, Tex., and the Oakland Athletics looked like a team ready to make a move.

Stewart, a 20-game winner four years in a row who has struggled this season, gave up only three hits in pitching the Athletics to a 5-0 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Jose Canseco led the attack for Stewart (6-4). Canseco had three hits, including his major league-leading 20th home run.

Stewart, bothered by a rib cage injury, had not pitched a complete game and had a 5.74 earned-run average going into the game.

With each shutout inning Stewart’s confidence grew. He was pressing in the ninth. It was only the second time in 16 starts that he made it through the eighth inning.

“Stew’s improving all the time,” Oakland Manager Tony La Russa said. “He had to improve a lot to get this lineup out. He was very effective and everybody saw it. It was his game to finish.”

“My fastball’s back and I should do all right now,” said Stewart, who threw 14 fastballs in the first inning that averaged 92 m.p.h. “I hope people haven’t made the mistake of counting us out of the race.”

And he used enough forkballs to keep the Rangers off balance.

“When you’re struggling, you’re looking for answers,” Stewart said. “Everybody’s got a solution. When you’ve been as successful as I have, you’re hard-headed.”

Known in recent seasons for his hot Aprils, Stewart finished the first month with a 2-2 record and control problems.

Just when he seemed to be straightened out, Stewart hurt his ribs. For the first time in a career that began with the Dodgers in 1978, he went on the disabled list.

His performance put the Athletics 2 1/2 games behind the slumping Minnesota Twins.

Toronto 4, Minnesota 0--Joe Carter continued his assault on the Twins and Tom Candiotti won his second start for the host Blue Jays.

Carter hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the first inning, and the Twins lost for the seventh time in the last eight games.

Carter has hit 21 home runs and driven in 60 runs against the Twins.

Candiotti, a loser in his Toronto debut last week, gave up six hits and struck out seven in seven innings to improve his record to 8-7.

“Joe (Carter) and I are becoming good friends,” Candiotti said. “It’s easy when he hits a couple of home runs for me.”

Devon White also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won five in a row and lead the East by 4 1/2 games.

Allan Anderson hit All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar with the next pitch after White’s home run in the fourth. Both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown and Anderson was ejected.

“He made it too obvious,” Alomar said. “If you’re going to hit someone you shouldn’t make it obvious.”

New York 3, Cleveland 2--The Yankees set a modest goal last week. They vowed to reach .500 by the all-star break.

With young Scott Kamieniecki pitching strong seven innings and Steve Sax and Roberto Kelly hitting home runs, the Yankees pulled within two victories (36-38) of their immediate goal.

Kamieniecki gave up only three hits and the Yankees won their fifth in a row.

Detroit 8, Baltimore 2--Frank Tanana celebrated his 38th birthday at Baltimore by pitching another fine game for the Tigers.

In the mid-’70s, Tanana was with the Angels, and he had a fastball that ranked with the best in baseball. Now the left-hander gets by with some of the slowest pitches in the majors.

An arm injury that almost ended his career took away the speed and Tanana has relied on cunning.

He gave up seven hits in seven innings to improve to 6-6. Tanana has won four of his last five decisions and has an earned-run average of 1.39 for his last seven starts.

Lou Whitaker’s two-run home run in the third inning got the Tigers on the way to the victory that put them over .500 for the first time this season.

Boston 5, Milwaukee 3--Mike Greenwell and Ellis Burks each drove in two runs in a five-run first inning at Milwaukee as the Red Sox completed a sweep of the three-game series.

The Red Sox picked up where they left off Tuesday night when they had 22 hits in a 14-4 rout.

Boston survived a three-run fifth inning in which the Brewers had three doubles.

Chicago 3, Seattle 2--Carlton Fisk singled home the winning run in the 12th inning in Seattle as the White Sox dealt the Mariners’ their fifth consecutive loss.

Robin Ventura doubled off Calvin Jones (0-1) with two outs, his fourth hit of the game, and Fisk followed with an RBI single.

Reliever Donn Pall (3-1) pitched three scoreless innings for the victory. Bobby Thigpen worked the 12th inning for his 16th save as Chicago won for the sixth time in seven games. The loss dropped Seattle to .500 (39-39) for the first time since May 6.

The White Sox tied the game in the ninth inning against reliever Mike Jackson when pinch-hitter Lance Johnson led off with a triple and Warren Newson, another pinch-hitter, doubled to left field.