AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Darling Gives Athletics Hope, 3-0 Victory

In his first American League start, Ron Darling showed the Oakland Athletics how to avoid the disasters they’ve had with middle relief this season.

Darling gave up two hits in seven innings and gave the A’s renewed hope for the stretch run after a lost weekend against Minnesota in a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners Monday night at Oakland.

The A’s remained five games behind the West-leading Twins, who won two of three over the weekend in Oakland.

Rick Honeycutt got two outs in the eighth, and Dennis Eckersley pitched the last 1 1/3 innings for his major league-leading 29th save.

Darling had a 5-5 record this season with the New York Mets and was 0-3 with the Montreal Expos before they traded him to Oakland for two minor leaguers four days ago. It was Darling’s 100th victory, 99 with the Mets.

Darling retired 16 of his final 17 batters. He walked two and struck out six.

Rickey Henderson beat out a grounder in the third, stole two bases and scored on Dave Henderson’s single off Bill Krueger (9-4) to make it 1-0.

Brook Jacoby singled home another run in the eighth and Rickey Henderson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the final run.

New York 7, Detroit 5--Mel Hall homered and drove in five runs to lead the Yankees past the Tigers at Detroit.

Hall went four for four and tied his career high for RBIs. Don Mattingly also homered for the Yankees.

Cecil Fielder hit his major league-leading 32nd home run for Detroit. Dave Bergman, Lou Whitaker and Tony Phillips also connected for the Tigers.

Scott Sanderson (11-7) struck out a career-high 12 batters in six innings, allowing four runs on as many hits. Lee Guetterman got three outs for his sixth save.

Walt Terrell (7-10) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks 4 2/3 innings.

The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the third when Bernie Williams doubled and scored on Hall’s single. Hall hit a bases-loaded, two-run double in the fifth and Matt Nokes followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Kansas City 5, Boston 3--George Brett’s second double ignited a three-run rally in the eighth inning that carried the Royals past the Red Sox at Kansas City.

Brett who doubled in the sixth inning for extra-base hit No. 1,000. When left fielder Mike Greenwell misplayed his drive in the eighth, Brian McRae scored from first to tie the score, 3-3.

Bill Pecota was walked intentionally and Gary Thurman’s single to deep short scored pinch runner Kevin Seitzer. David Howard’s double drove in Pecota.

Jeff Montgomery (2-4) got the victory after blowing a chance for his 23rd save. Tony Fossas (1-2) took the loss.

Milwaukee 6, Baltimore 5--Robin Yount doubled home the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning and the Brewers got past the Orioles after blowing a 5-0 lead at Baltimore.

Trailing, 5-0, the Orioles got three runs back in the fourth on a two-run triple by Chris Hoiles and a run-scoring triple by Juan Bell.

Baltimore closed to 5-4 in the fifth on Brady Anderson’s second homer and tied the score in the eighth on Bell’s sacrifice fly.

Franklin Stubbs hit his 10th homer for the Brewers.

Cleveland 9, Texas 0--Mark Whiten hit two home runs in a game for the first time and Eric King pitched a two-hitter as the Indians routed the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

King (5-6) struck out seven and walked one in his fifth shutout, the first since June 22, 1990.

Whiten, obtained June 27 from Toronto, hit a 418-foot homer to open a three-run second inning against Kevin Brown (7-9). Whiten hit his eighth home run of the season in the fourth inning.

Brown gave up nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.