AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Ryan Comes Out After 10 Pitches, Doctor Says It’s Not Serious

Nolan Ryan, who hasn’t won a game this season, made only 10 pitches in the Texas Rangers’ game against the New York Yankees Monday night at Arlington, Tex., before he left complaining of tightness in his left hamstring.

Ryan, who hasn’t won a game since last September and is 0-1 in his last 10 starts, walked Andy Stankiewicz and was 2-0 on Don Mattingly when he decided to leave the game.

The Yankees won the game, 7-1.

Dr. John Conway examined Ryan in the training room and diagnosed the problem as a strained left hamstring and said “it’s not serious.” John Blake, publicity director for the Rangers, said it is anticipated that Ryan will make his next scheduled start Saturday night.

It’s the longest Ryan has ever gone in his career without a victory at the start of a season. The longest winless streak of his career was from June 22 to Aug. 14, 1985 with the Houston Astros when he went winless in 13 consecutive starts and was 0-8 in that stretch.

Ryan was seeking his 315th victory. He is tied with Gaylord Perry at 314.

Ryan, 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA, was making his eighth start of the season. It was the second time in Ryan’s 775 major league games that he had failed to retire a batter. The other time was Sept. 28, 1971 against St. Louis when he was pitching for the New York Mets.

In Monday night’s game, Matt Nokes delivered the big blow the the Yankees, a three-run homer in the fourth inning against loser Jeff Robinson (4-4). Rich Monteleone (3-1) went four innings to get the victory in a game delayed twice by rain.

Toronto 5, Minnesota 3--Devon White homered twice--the second an inside-the-park shot in the 10th inning--as the Blue Jays won a matchup of division leaders at Minneapolis.

White’s line drive to left-center skipped past diving left fielder Shane Mack and over center fielder Kirby Puckett and bounced to the wall. Puckett retrieved the ball, but Greg Gagne’s relay was not nearly in time.

“I pretty much flicked it out there in the right spot,” White said. “I saw Shane dive at the ball. The next thing I knew it’s bouncing over Kirby’s head.”

Mack confessed to misplaying the ball, going all out when he should have kept it in front of him. The miscue made a loser of Carl Willis (1-2).

The Blue Jays added an insurance run when Joe Carter hit a two-out single and Dave Winfield doubled him home.

The 10th-inning rally made a winner of Duane Ward (3-2), who pitched two innings and allowed one hit. Tom Henke got the last three outs for his ninth save.

White homered batting right-handed to lead off the game. It was the third time in his career he has homered from each side of the plate and he is the 56th player in American League history to accomplish the feat.

Chicago 5, Kansas City 3--The first three batters Alex Fernandez faced at Kansas City all scored, not a good sign for a pitcher on a three-game losing streak and a team on a six-game skid.

But instead of wilting, the Chicago right-hander bore down, allowing only three hits the rest of the way as the White Sox rallied.

“I made a lot of adjustments out there,” said Fernandez (3-5), who struck out seven and walked two in his second complete game. “I was having a tough time. But you’ve got to go out there and pitch with what you’ve got. The offense picked me up.”

Milwaukee 6, Detroit 2--Scott Fletcher dumped a short two-out RBI single into left to start a four-run seventh inning for the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Fletcher is hitting .500 (11 for 22) with men on base in his last 16 games and is currently on a nine-game hitting streak.

“It was a big run for us because it put us ahead,” Fletcher said. “I just hit it off the end of the bat and it got in there. That’s what the game is all about. Situations like that make the game fun.”

Fletcher later made a diving stop to start a ninth-inning double play. He was playing shortstop because Pat Listach has a twisted ankle.

Oakland 10, Boston 7--Mark McGwire hit his 19th home run and Terry Steinbach hit a sixth-inning homer to break a 4-4 tie as the Athletics won at Oakland.

Steinbach, who had three hits and three RBIs, led off the sixth by hitting his fourth homer of the season, against Danny Darwin (2-2), as the A’s won for only the second time in seven games on the current home stand.

McGwire led off the second with a solo homer against Frank Viola that landed 15 rows into the left-field bleachers.

Oakland’s 10 runs equal its season high.