Indians Haven’t Hit Stride--or Anything

This time Orel Hershiser was the victim.

Not of the opposition, but of his Indian teammates, who failed to hit for the third game in a row and lost, 7-1, to Toronto on Friday night at Cleveland.

“We’re just not hitting right now,” Julio Franco said Friday night after his home run provided the lone Cleveland run as the defending AL champions remained winless in three games.

No kidding, they aren’t hitting. In the three games, the Indians, who led the major leagues in runs, home runs and batting average last season and had baseball’s best home record, 54-18, have been outscored 19-3.

Friday night, they were held in check by Juan Guzman, who was coming off an injury-plagued 1995. He limited the Indians to six hits in eight innings and sent them to their first three-game losing streak at Jacobs Field since June 24-27, 1994.

Ed Sprague homered and doubled for Toronto, which has scored 26 runs in going 3-0. Toronto was 57 games into the 1995 season before it won three in a row.

Hershiser took the loss, giving up five runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

“I had great stuff. I just couldn’t locate it,” Hershiser said.

Often he could find it at the backstop. Hershiser threw three wild pitches and walked three batters.

Oakland 13, Detroit 2--Scott Brosius homered for the third time in two days and the Athletics won their first game of the season at Las Vegas.

Doug Johns became the first A’s starter to go past the fifth inning, giving up three hits in seven innings.

The biggest crowd yet--11,149--turned out to see the game at Cashman Field, where the A’s moved their season-opening six-game home stand because of construction at the Oakland Coliseum.

Baltimore 2, Minnesota 1--Kent Mercker won his American League debut at Minneapolis and the undefeated Orioles won their fourth game.

The Orioles are off to their best start since opening 4-0 in 1985. They can match their best start ever with a victory tonight.

Mercker, acquired from Atlanta in the off-season, gave up four hits and a run in six innings. Randy Myers struck out the side in the ninth for his third save.

Milwaukee 10, Seattle 6--Kevin Seitzer hit two home runs for the Brewers in Seattle and Scott Karl came within one out of pitching the first complete game in the majors this season.

Karl, who had started twice against the Mariners in his career, losing both times to Randy Johnson, gave up six hits, including home runs by Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner, and struck out eight.

Edwin Hurtado (1-1) gave up eight runs and eight hits in four innings. He filled in for Johnson, who was scheduled to start but stayed at home with his family after his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child early Friday morning.

Johnson will start against the Brewers tonight.

Kansas City 5, Boston 4--Patrick Lennon’s two-out single in the 12th inning at Kansas City gave the Royals a win and sent Boston to its fourth loss in a row.

After Kansas City loaded the bases off loser Brad Pennington, the Red Sox moved in their outfielders. But Lennon singled sharply over right fielder Troy O’Leary’s head to give the Royals their first win of the season.

Johnny Damon hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs for Kansas City. Jose Canseco homered for the Red Sox.