McGwire’s Memory Is Faultless

When Mark McGwire finally got a pitch to hit, he remembered what to do with it.

Maybe it was the surroundings. McGwire and Detroit have always been a good combination--except for the Tigers.

McGwire’s first hit of the season was a two-run home run to left field in the first inning, and it sent Oakland to a 4-1 victory Saturday afternoon in Detroit.

He had been 0 for 8 in his first three games back after sitting out the Athletics’ first 18 games because of an injured foot.

“It’s going to be a long time before I feel comfortable,” McGwire said. “People have had 200 at-bats and I haven’t had 30. It’s not easy. This is not an easy game.”

No, but Felipe Lira (2-1) threw an easy 3-and-2 pitch to McGwire in the first inning and later to Jason Giambi, who added a solo homer in the third inning and has hit in 17 games in a row.

“Both the home runs were hanging sliders right over the plate,” Lira said. “It was the right pitch in the wrong location.

“You know what they say: ‘I hang it and they bang it.’ ”

McGwire will take it after the pitches he has seen since coming back. Oakland does not have the lineup to keep pitchers from working around McGwire.

“I haven’t seen much to hit,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge. I just have to be patient.”

Danny Bautista homered for Detroit, which has lost nine of its last 10 games.

Carlos Reyes (3-3) stopped the Tigers on six hits in 7 1/3 innings. Bill Taylor, recalled Saturday from triple-A Edmonton, pitched 1 1/3 innings for his first save. He arrived from Salt Lake City with the game in progress and entered in the eighth, striking out Travis Fryman with two on and two out and pitching a perfect ninth.

Minnesota 8, New York 6--Dwight Gooden finally pitched a strong game, giving up one run in six innings and striking out seven, but the Yankees’ bullpen let the game get away in the 10th inning at New York.

Chip Hale, Jeff Reboulet and Chuck Knoblauch each had bases-loaded singles in the four-run 10th for the Twins, who gave up two runs in the bottom of the inning before holding on to win.

Texas 4, Baltimore 2--Bobby Witt gave up four hits in 7 1/3 innings and the Rangers scored three unearned runs in the eighth inning to win in Baltimore.

Kevin Elster had a two-run double for Texas, which broke a tie in the eighth and improved to 5-0 against Baltimore.

Brady Anderson hit his American League-leading 10th homer for the Orioles, who have lost eight of 10 after starting the season 11-2.

Toronto 11, Cleveland 6--Carlos Delgado hit a two-run home run and drove in four runs, and Joe Carter had three hits and three RBIs for the Blue Jays, who won for only the second time in nine home games and snapped a three-game losing streak.

Kansas City 10, Boston 0--Kevin Appier, who broke a water cooler during his last start and then complained that Royals’ management “sold the farm” by letting too many veterans go during the off-season, took care of the one thing he can control, striking out nine Red Sox in seven innings and combining with Jason Jacomb on a shutout at Boston.

Seattle 6, Milwaukee 5--Edgar Martinez delivered an RBI triple to key a three-run eighth inning for the Mariners, who came from behind to win at Milwaukee. Jay Buhner, who walked and moved to third base on a single by Russ Davis, scored the winning run when reliever Mark Kiefer balked.