AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Nagy Sharp as Indians Get a Pleasant Surprise

In a new season, with a new ballpark, some new players and new hope, the Cleveland Indians got an old pitcher back Friday night in Kansas City.

Charles Nagy and his surgically repaired right shoulder looked better than the Indians had hoped.

Nagy, who was an All-Star in 1992 but missed most of 1993, gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one as Cleveland stayed unbeaten with an 8-3 victory over winless Kansas City.

“We hoped we would see this,” Indian Manager Mike Hargrove said. “We would have taken less. But we’ll certainly take this and build on it.”

A 17-game winner in 1992, Nagy underwent shoulder surgery and won only two games in a shortened, pain-filled 1993 that seems only a distant memory.

“It felt good just to get the win,” Nagy said. “I feel good. I feel comfortable. I know I still have a lot more work to do.”

Jim Thome hit a three-run home run in the second inning off Kansas City starter Tom Gordon, then hit a shot back to the mound, off Gordon’s shins, that brought on a new pitcher.

Cleveland is 3-0 for the first time since 1984. The Royals are 0-3 for the third consecutive year. They are 1-8 in home openers the past nine seasons.

“If we lose (today), we’re going to come out Sunday,” Manager Hal McRae said. “We’re not going to tinker with anything. We’re not going to change anything. I played for 18 years and I was never concerned with three ballgames and I’m not going to be concerned with three games now. We haven’t won because we haven’t scored.”

Though it’s early, the tinkering could come from the front office, which has indicated that another poor start would not help McRae.

New York 4, Detroit 0--Jim Abbott and two relievers combined on a four-hitter and Paul O’Neill drove in two runs as the unbeaten Yankees won at home over the winless Tigers.

Abbott struck out eight in seven innings and walked two. He gave up a single to Alan Trammell in the second inning, a double to Mickey Tettleton in the fourth and a leadoff single to Trammell in the seventh.

Bob Wickman walked Milt Cuyler starting the eighth inning, and Tony Phillips singled before Steve Howe came on for the final six outs, earning his first save.

Oakland 10, Minnesota 9--Troy Neel and Scott Brosius hit run-scoring singles in the 10th inning as the Athletics wasted a six-run lead, then defeated the Twins in Minneapolis.

The Twins’ Kirby Puckett had the sixth five-hit game of his career, raising his hit total to 2,004, and drove in four runs.

Mark McGwire hit his first home run for Oakland since last May 12.

Boston 8, Chicago 6--Tim Naehring hit a three-run double in the eighth inning and scored when a relay throw got away as the Red Sox won their fourth in a row, defeating the White Sox at Chicago.

The White Sox hit four homers, giving them nine in the last two games.

Texas 7, Baltimore 5--Manuel Lee snapped an 0-for-8 slump with a two-run single in the ninth inning that gave the Rangers a victory at Baltimore.

Toronto 8, Seattle 2--Rookie Carlos Delgado hit his third homer of the week, and Devon White tied a Blue Jays’ record with two triples as they routed the Mariners at Toronto.

White went four for four, including his 200th double, and Joe Carter and Delgado homered in a five-run second inning.

Delgado, whose first two homers bounced off SkyDome restaurants, barely cleared the left-field fence with his third.