Fielder Is First to Get 100 RBIs : Baseball: Tiger slugger homers off Ryan as he tries to match Ruth’s achievement.

Cecil Fielder is at it again, driving in runs at a pace most major leaguers only dream about.

He knocked in his major league leading 100th RBI in grand style Sunday night--a 405-foot home run off Nolan Ryan, helping Detroit defeat Texas, 6-0, and sweep the three-game series.

“I hit a fastball. That’s about all I can hit that he throws up there. I was just fortunate enough to get the head of the bat on the ball,” said Fielder, the first Detroit player to drive in 100 or more runs in three consecutive seasons since Hank Greenberg did it in four consecutive seasons from 1937-40.

Fielder also could become the first player to lead the majors in RBIs in three consecutive seasons since Babe Ruth in 1919-21.

“It’d be an honor to achieve that goal,” said Fielder, who was one for 4 and is now hitting .238 for the season.

Fielder’s 27th homer was typical of the Tigers’ game--and season. Detroit, which leads the majors with 139 home runs, had only five hits, but three of them were home runs.

“Tonight was one of those nights when I actually didn’t have anything working,” Ryan said. “I walked people and couldn’t keep the ball in the ballpark. Those two things make for a real bad game.”

Ryan (5-6) also surrendered Mickey Tettleton’s 25th homer of the year, a three-run blast in the first. But it was his seven walks--including four in the fifth--that ended his bid for his 320th victory.

Mark Carreon hit the Tigers’ third home run of the game off Jeff Russell to lead off the eighth. It was his eighth of the year.

“The way we’re set up, we go for the big offensive numbers,” said Detroit starter Frank Tanana (11-7), who allowed only five hits in eight innings. “That way, if you can hold them down you have a chance to win.”

The Tigers swept the three-game series and all six games this season at Arlington Stadium, where Texas has lost seven straight and 12 of 13.

It was Detroit’s first victory over Ryan, who has lost three consecutive decisions, since Aug. 13, 1979.

The Rangers are 2-6 in their last eight games to fall 14 1/2 games behind first-place Oakland in the AL West. Detroit trails first-place Toronto by 12 1/2 games in the AL East.

It was the second-ever pitching matchup between the 45-year-old Ryan and 39-year-old Tanana.

“He’s my hero. When I see him, I have to believe I may have a few more years left,” said Tanana, enjoying a rare game in which he’s the younger of the two starting pitchers.

They were the mainstays of the California Angels’ rotation between 1974-79, combining for 465 victories and sweeping the AL’s strikeout titles over that span.

Since going their separate ways for the 1980 season, the two had only met once before. Ryan was 5-0 in six starts against Detroit, including a 10-6 victory over Tanana last season.

Ryan and Tanana are first and tied for third on the active players’ win-list. Ryan has been stuck on 319 since July 26, while Tanana remained tied at 231 with Toronto’s Jack Morris, who also won Sunday.