BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Baerga Has a Historic Night in 8-5 Victory

Carlos Baerga of the Cleveland Indians became the American League’s first second baseman to bat .300 with 200 hits, 20 homers and 100 runs batted in Friday night as the Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles, 8-5, at Cleveland.

Baerga had three singles, giving him 201 hits and a .310 average. He started the game with 20 home runs, but added his 104th and 105th RBIs, most by an AL second baseman since Bobby Doerr had 120 in 1950.

Rogers Hornsby hit better than .300 with at least 200 hits, 20 homers and 100 RBIs five times in the 1920s, all in the National League.

Baltimore’s Brady Anderson got his 80th RBI, five away from the major league record for a leadoff hitter.

Rod Nichols, who pitched four scoreless innings before a two-run homer by Cal Ripken Jr. in the ninth inning, got the victory.

Minnesota 5, Kansas City 1--John Smiley pitched a four-hitter and increased his streak of scoreless innings to 27 1/3, and Chili Davis had two homers and four RBIs at Kansas City.

Smiley (16-9), who beat the Royals last Sunday with a five-hitter, retired the first 13 batters before Mike Macfarlane doubled. He scoreless streak ran from the sixth inning of his Sept. 16 start at Oakland until Wally Joyner scored on Gregg Jefferies’ double-play grounder in the seventh.

George Brett, who got his 3,000th hit against the Angels Wednesday at Anaheim Stadium, was given a standing ovation in his first at-bat and brought the crowd to its feet again in the seventh when he followed Joyner’s double with a single. The hit moved him past Roberto Clemente for 17th place on the career list with 3,001 hits.

Chicago Cubs 3, Montreal 1--Mike Morgan scattered five hits to improve to 9-2 at Wrigley Field this season.

Morgan (16-8) got his sixth complete game, his fifth at home. He has given up 14 homers, but only three at Wrigley Field.

New York Yankees 6, Boston 3--Bob Wickman continued a strong rookie season with his sixth victory in seven starts as the Red Sox won at Boston.

Wickman (6-1), called up from the International League on Aug. 23, is off to the best start of any Yankee rookie starter since Tom Morgan went 7-1 his first eight decisions of 1951.

Steve Farr earned his 30th save by pitching the ninth.

San Francisco 4, Cincinnati 1--Shortstop Freddie Benavides’ throwing error set up a four-run third inning at Cincinnati as the Reds lost for only the fourth time in 15 games.

Royce Clayton grounded into a potential inning-ending double play, but Benavides threw into right field to let two runs score and set up another. The error ultimately cost Jose Rijo (15-10) his five-game winning streak.

St. Louis 2, Philadelphia 1--Donovan Osborne pitched a five-hitter over seven innings to win for the first time since Sept. 1 and Rod Brewer and Stan Royer drove in second-inning runs at St. Louis.

Lee Smith got his league-leading 42nd save.

New York Mets 6, Pittsburgh 3--Pete Schourek gave up six hits in eight innings and rookie Jeff Kent had four hits at New York.

Seattle 2, Chicago White Sox 0--Dave Fleming set a Mariner record with his fourth shutout and tied Mark Langston’s team mark of 17 victories in a rookie season as the Mariners won at Seattle.

Fleming (17-10) pitched an eight-hitter and his seventh complete game of the season.