AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : A’s Rally Displays Shades of ’89

After the Oakland Athletics finished fourth in the West and 11 games behind the Minnesota Twins, many gave up on Manager Tony La Russa’s team.

They seemed to forget that before last season’s slump, the Athletics won three consecutive division titles and a World Series championship. And that most of the stars from 1988-1990 are still on the team.

The way the Athletics have started the new season indicates it’s a bit premature to count them out of the race.

In their most impressive performance yet, the Athletics spotted the Chicago White Sox a 6-0 lead in the third inning Saturday at Oakland and fought back to win in 10 innings, 7-6. The A’s record is 5-0.

Rickey Henderson’s two-out single drove in Jamie Quirk, who opened the 10th with a single, to culminate the comeback.

The White Sox appeared to be in control after scoring six runs during the third inning, fueled by Dan Pasqua’s grand slam.

Dave Stewart survived the rocky third to pitch nine innings. Home runs by Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire cut into the lead, but when the White Sox brought in bullpen ace Bobby Thigpen to pitch the ninth, they led, 6-5.

Thigpen gave up two walks before former teammate Harold Baines singled in the tying run and sent it into the 10th.

“I never had a start like this,” La Russa said. “But if they’re all going to be like this, I won’t make it through the season.”

New York 8, Detroit 1--Tim Leary, after three consecutive losing seasons and only one start since last July, had reason to be a little nervous in his first start.

But Don Mattingly drove in four early runs with a double and a home run to take the pressure off, and Leary gave up only four hits and one run in eight innings at Detroit as the Yankees improved to 4-0. It was the former Dodger right-hander’s fifth victory without a loss against the 0-5 Tigers, off to their worst start in 33 years.

After going 17-11 for the Dodgers in 1988, Leary has been 21-43. Last season he was 4-10 with a 6.49 ERA for the Yankees.

Toronto 7, Baltimore 2--Jack Morris picked up where he left off last fall--only for a different team.

Morris, who pitched a 10-inning shutout for Minnesota to win the seventh game of the World Series, is already 2-0.

Morris, signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays, pitched a strong seven innings at Toronto and the Blue Jays improved to 5-0, their best start.

The 37-year-old right-hander gave up seven hits and two runs in seven innings.

Texas 10, Minnesota 8--Kevin Reimer’s two-run double during the 10th inning at Minneapolis capped a comeback for the Rangers.

The Rangers trailed 20-game winner Scott Erickson by 6-0, chased him, then tied the score in the ninth when Ivan Rodriguez hit a two-run homer against bullpen ace Rick Aguilera.

Seattle 1, Kansas City 0--Randy Johnson pitched a four-hitter at Seattle and Pete O’Brien ended an 0-for-18 slump against Kevin Appier with a seventh-inning home run.

The Royals are off to an 0-5 start, the worst in the franchise’s 24-year history.

Johnson (1-0) struck out 11 and walked two, reaching double digits in strikeouts for the 16th time.