AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Hershiser’s New Club Gives Him Gift of Offense

Orel Hershiser had to think back, well past his Dodger days, to remember the last time a team gave him a lead that big that quickly.

“Little League,” he said. “It’s just fantastic for the guys to get those runs. Runs can really make you relax.”

Hershiser had no problem relaxing Tuesday night after the Indians tied a major-league record with eight runs before anyone was out in the first inning of a 10-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Cleveland.

He was so relaxed that he scattered four hits over eight innings of his first AL victory.

The Indians homered three times and scored eight runs before anyone was out in the first inning, capping it with Paul Sorrento’s grand slam--the first at Jacobs Field.

Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga also homered in the inning for the Indians, whose no-out, eight-run start matched a big-league record achieved twice before--by Cleveland against Baltimore in 1954 and by the New York Yankees against Baltimore in 1960.

“Coming from the Dodger ballclub, we didn’t have an outstanding offensive club there year in and year out,” Hershiser said. “It really is a nice gift.”

Chicago 6, Minnesota 1--Jim Abbott gave up two hits over seven innings and the White Sox scored five times in the third in a game in Chicago delayed twice because of rain.

Abbott (1-1), who signed with the White Sox as a free agent in spring training, retired the first nine batters before Chuck Knoblauch led off the fourth inning with a single after a 30-minute rain delay. In the seventh, Abbott gave up a solo homer to Pedro Munoz.

Boston 4, Baltimore 3--Pinch-hitter Wes Chamberlain hit a one-out home run in the ninth inning off Armando Benitez (0-2) to give the Red Sox a victory at Boston.

Stan Belinda (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings for the victory in which the Red Sox also got a homer from Mo Vaughn. Five of Vaughn’s last seven hits have been home runs.

Toronto 9, New York 6--Rookie shortstop Alex Gonzalez drove in three runs at Toronto to lead the Blue Jays, who beat New York’s Jack McDowell for the 10th time in his 14 starts against them.

Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning, a run-scoring single in the fourth and an RBI double in the fifth, all off McDowell (1-1), who is 3-8 in the regular season against the Blue Jays and 0-2 in two playoff starts.

Detroit 2, Milwaukee 2--Cecil Fielder led off the ninth inning with a mammoth home run to bring the Tigers to a tie in Milwaukee in a game suspended because of rain during the bottom of the inning. It will be resumed before tonight’s game.

Oakland 7, Seattle 5--Rickey Henderson homered off Ron Villone with two on in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Athletics and Don Wengert (1-1) the victory.

The A’s and Todd Stottlemyre spotted Seattle a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning, but got two runs then and a solo homer by Geronimo Berroa in the seventh to close to within 4-3.