BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Parker, Guzman Bring Blue Jays Closer

Dave Parker is a veteran who has spent much of his career playing in big games. Juan Guzman is a rookie who knows little about them.

The old and the young combined talents in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Toronto. It made Manager Cito Gaston’s return from back trouble a success and moved the Blue Jays closer to the championship of the American League East.

With the Milwaukee Brewers routing the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays extended their lead to 3 1/2 games with eight to play.

Another capacity crowd of 50,236 cheered the victory. It also prompted the club to announce it will be the first team to sell 4 million tickets in one season. Toronto already holds the attendance record of 3,885,000.

Parker, 40, recently released by the Angels, had two key doubles, and Guzman, 24, overpowered the Twins for eight innings.

Parker doubled in a run in the fourth inning, then led off the seventh with a double, leading to the go-ahead run.

Mookie Wilson, who ran for Parker, scored the tiebreaking run on a short foul fly ball to left field. In the next inning, Wilson broke it open with a bases-loaded triple.

Guzman (9-2) gave up three hits and struck out nine to win his ninth in a row, tying a club record set by Dave Stieb in 1988. Guzman’s story has been one of phenomenal success in a hurry.

He was having a mediocre season in the minors when the Blue Jays, desperate for starting pitchers, brought him up in early June.

Even though he gave up 10 hits and nine runs in 8 2/3 innings in two losses to Baltimore, the Blue Jays had to start him again. Twelve days after his second loss to the Orioles, he beat the Twins, 1-0, and has been winning ever since.

He beat Kevin Tapani (16-9) Friday. Tapani, who had been 14-1 since the All-Star break, gave up a game-opening triple to Devon White and the two doubles to Parker.

Wilson’s hustle accounted for a run on the short sacrifice fly, but an assist should go to the Blue Jays’ ballboy, who got in left fielder Tom Gladden’s way. Gladden’s throw was wide, and Wilson didn’t even slide, avoiding catcher Brian Harper’s swipe tag.

Milwaukee 7, Boston 5--The Brewers scored six runs in the sixth inning at Milwaukee and sent the Red Sox reeling.

Boston’s fourth loss in five games dropped it 3 1/2 games behind Toronto.

The Red Sox led, 2-1, but a single with the bases loaded by Greg Vaughn tied the score and Rick Dempsey hit a sacrifice fly to break the tie. A triple by Dante Bichette broke it open.

Baltimore 9, Detroit 7--The Orioles all but finished off the Tigers.

Cal Ripken had two hits and drove in five runs as the Orioles dropped the slumping Tigers 7 1/2 behind with nine games to play.

Seattle 10, Chicago 8--Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two-run home run in the 11th inning at Chicago to lead the Mariners. The White Sox blew a 7-0 lead.

New York 3, Cleveland 0--Pascual Perez gave up five hits in eight innings at Cleveland and the Yankees handed the Indians their 100th defeat.

Texas 3, Oakland 0--Jose Guzman pitched a career-best two-hitter for his first shutout since 1988.

Guzman (13-6) is the winningest pitcher on the Texas staff this season despite not getting his first victory until June 14. He struck out seven and all three of his walks went to Harold Baines.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Montreal 12, Pittsburgh 8--The Pirates, weary from a long doubleheader in New York, provided only token resistance to the Expos at Pittsburgh.

A three-run home run by Andres Galarraga capped a six-run eighth inning that broke it open.

St. Louis 5, Chicago 4--Tom Pagnozzi’s two-run single capped a four-run fourth inning at St. Louis that brought the Cardinals from behind.

Lee Smith pitched the ninth inning, getting the last two outs with runners on second and third to earn his 44th save.

San Diego 8, Cincinnati 3--Padre pitcher Greg Harris (8-5) and Bip Roberts had RBI bunts in a three-run fifth inning at Cincinnati and Fred McGriff added a three-run home run in the ninth.

New York 6, Philadelphia 4--Rookie Todd Hundley and pinch-hitter Mark Carreon each drove in two runs for the Mets at New York.