AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Ryan Throws 3-Hitter, Strikes Out 13 in 4-1 Win

When he got off to a slow start this season, Nolan Ryan, 45, seemed to be nearing the end of his career.

Forget it. There is still fire left in the Texas Rangers’ right-hander.

In pitching the Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees Saturday night at Arlington, Tex., Ryan struck out 13 and gave up only three hits.

It was the second consecutive strong outing for Ryan (2-3), who ended a string of 13 starts without a victory by beating the Detroit Tigers last Sunday.

Ryan, who has struck out 10 or more in 214 games, was one strike away from his 20th two-hitter when Danny Tartabull hit his eighth home run to spoil the shutout. It also ended Ryan’s string of 15 scoreless innings.

Ryan settled for his 31st three-hitter and his best performance of the season.

“I was trying to get a fastball in on Danny,” Ryan said. “But I put it out over the plate. That’s the type of pitch he likes.”

Ryan was throwing as hard at the finish as he was early in the game.

“The ball Danny hit out, we had clocked at 95 m.p.h.,” Yankee Manager Buck Showalter said. “He had his stuff the whole game. Boy, was he impressive.”

Ryan gave up an infield hit to Andy Stankiewicz in the second and a single up the middle to Charlie Hayes.

Ryan walked only one in beating the Yankees for the eighth time in a row since 1977, when he was with the Angels.

Doubles by Juan Gonzalez and Dickie Thon drove in runs in the second inning for all the help Ryan needed.

Minnesota 3, Baltimore 2--Chili Davis hit a two-out, two-run single in the 15th inning to bring the Twins from behind at Minneapolis.

The 4-hour 40-minute game foiled the Twins’ plans for fireworks, but the victory put the Twins alone on top in the American League West.

The Orioles, who missed numerous chances to win from the ninth inning on, broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 15th. Randy Milligan, who left the bases loaded in his two previous at-bats, doubled and scored on Mark McLemore’s single.

The Orioles brought in bullpen ace Gregg Olson. When he struck out the first two batters, his 22nd save was within his grasp. But Chuck Knoblauch and Kirby Puckett singled and Kent Hrbek walked to fill the bases. On a 2-and-0 pitch, Davis hit a foul behind the plate that barely carried to the screen. He rapped the next pitch down the right-field line to win the game.

The Twins, moving a game ahead of Oakland, have won seven of their last eight and 14 of 17. They had lost the last five to the Orioles.

The Orioles left runners in scoring position in the ninth, 10th, 12th and 13th.

Cleveland 8, Oakland 1--Against the rest of the league the Indians are 27-46, but against the Athletics they are 6-1.

In winning their second game in a row at Cleveland by the same score, the Indians outhit the Athletics, 18-7, and beat them for the sixth time in a row. The A’s beat them in their first meeting of the season on April 28.

In the seven games, the Indians have outscored them, 37-15.

“They have something going against us,” Oakland Manager Tony La Russa said. “They’re playing with a lot of confidence. They’re hitting with a lot of confidence. There’s a reason. We’re giving them a lot to hit.”

Boston 2, Chicago 1--Scott Cooper drove in both runs and Joe Hesketh pitched well at Chicago until it started raining.

Hesketh (4-5) gave up three hits, including a 419-foot home run to Frank Thomas, in seven innings. After rain delayed the game for 21 minutes, Hesketh did not come out for the eighth.

Cooper, playing third because Wade Boggs has a bruised hip, broke a 1-1 tie with a run-scoring single with two out in the sixth.

The victory ended the Red Sox’s nine-game road losing streak.

Jack McDowell (11-4) went the distance, giving up eight hits.

Seattle 4, Detroit 3--Jay Buhner singled home the winning run with two out in the 10th inning at Detroit to lift the Mariners to victory.

Mike Schooler gave up a game-tying home run to Dave Bergman in the ninth but won his first after five defeats.