AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Eckersley Can’t Save Day So He Wins for A’s, 2-1

The presence of Dennis Eckersley makes all the Oakland Athletics’ problems seem insignificant.

When baseball’s best relief pitcher takes part, the Athletics win--no matter who is feuding or who is hurting.

Eckersley, who has 37 saves, pitched 1 2/3 innings Wednesday at Oakland and the Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 2-1.

Rickey Henderson hit a home run to start the game and hit a sacrifice fly to end it in the ninth inning. The victory gave Eckersley a 5-0 record and the Athletics are 48-0 in games in which Eckersley has appeared.

Manager Tony La Russa usually uses his ace when the Athletics have a lead in the ninth inning.

But after watching his set-up men blow the game Tuesday night before he could bring in Eckersley, La Russa didn’t wait.

The White Sox scored a run to tie the score and had a runner on second with one out in the eighth when Eckersley entered the game. He quelled the rally, then pitched a scoreless ninth.

When Bob Welch couldn’t start because his elbow hurt while warming up, La Russa went to his bullpen for a starter. Kevin Campbell was the first of four pitchers who held the White Sox to eight hits and stopped Lance Johnson’s hitting streak at 25 games. Johnson hit into two double plays and walked twice.

With two out and a runner on third in the eighth, Eckersley intentionally walked Johnson.

“Sorry . . . big game,” Eckersley said of the intentional walk. “We needed to win it. If the White Sox win two out of three, they would still have the momentum they came in with. We needed to take the wind out of their sails.”

Jack McDowell (15-7) went the distance. He had a six-hitter until he and third baseman Robin Ventura messed up plays that enabled the A’s to fill the bases with none out in the ninth. Henderson’s fly ball sent Jerry Browne home with the winning run.

Baltimore 11, Toronto 4--The Orioles made it two in a row at Toronto and pulled to within one game in the East.

Mike Devereaux led the Orioles’ 15-hit attack with three hits and drove in five runs. Brady Anderson hit a two-run home run, his first home run in more than a month.

Blue Jay starter Jimmy Key gave up five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Ben McDonald (12-7) gave up nine hits in 7 2/3 innings, including home runs to Devon White and Joe Carter.

Texas 5, Minnesota 3--Juan Gonzalez, benched because of a prolonged hitting slump, came out of it with a bang at Minneapolis.

Gonzales hit a three-run pinch home run in the ninth inning, his 28th homer, to bring the Rangers from behind and give Kevin Brown his league-leading 16th victory.

The Rangers rallied against reliever Rick Aguilera in the ninth.

New York 10, Detroit 0--Scott Sanderson and Rich Monteleone combined on a two-hitter, and Charlie Hayes, Roberto Kelly and Matt Nokes hit two-run home runs at Detroit.

Sanderson (10-8) went 7 1/3 innings and gave up both hits, a single to Travis Fryman in the first and a bunt single to Lou Whitaker in the fourth.

“My fastball was the key,” Sanderson said. “The fastball made the change effective.”

Sanderson has not given up a home run in 37 innings. He has given up 21 home runs this season, but eight of them came in two innings.

Cleveland 8, Boston 5--The Indians came from behind at Cleveland to beat the Red Sox and win their third in a row and the 18th in 23 games.

Pinch-hitter Brook Jacoby hit a two-run single that capped a five-run rally in the seventh inning to erase a 5-2 deficit.

The Red Sox, the worst road team in the majors (17-37), scored three times in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Bob Zupcic singled in one run and Mo Vaughn doubled home the run that put the Red Sox ahead by three.

Seattle 6, Kansas City 3--The Mariners say pitcher Dave Fleming should be the rookie of the year. But Fleming, who improved to 13-7 with eight strong innings at Seattle, disagrees.

“Pat Listach (Milwaukee shortstop) plays every game, his team’s in the pennant race and he’s around .300,” Fleming said.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two-run home run to support Fleming, who needed help with one out in the ninth inning. Fleming has 13 wins for a team that has only 45 victories in 116 games.