Morgan a Winner for His 10th Team

Just as he has done 121 other times in his career, Mike Morgan earned a victory Wednesday night. This one, though, made baseball history.

Morgan became the first player to win a game for 10 major league teams by pitching 2 2/3 innings of Texas’ 10-7 victory over Detroit. This milestone came two days after he became the first player to appear on 11 teams--an event that the Baseball Hall of Fame plans to commemorate by displaying the cap he wore that day.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Morgan, who has gone 122-170 since debuting for Oakland in 1978 just one week after he graduated high school. “If I could pitch 20 more years and play with the other 19 teams, I would.”

Juan Gonzalez, Todd Zeile and Lee Stevens each had three of Texas’ 18 hits, with Stevens tying his career high with four RBIs. Rafael Palmerio had two hits, one his first homer since returning to the Rangers.

Palmeiro, who played five years in Texas before spending the last five in Baltimore, found The Ballpark’s right-field upper deck in the seventh inning off Felipe Lira. It was just the 34th ball to reach there in five-plus seasons and the second time he’s done it.

Two recent knee operations have limited Palmeiro to the designated-hitter role. His two-for-five performance Wednesday made him three for 11 this season.

“It’s amazing what he’s done without that many live at-bats,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “Right now, he’s right in the middle of spring training, while the other guys have had five or six weeks.”

Tony Clark and Brad Ausmus each had three of Detroit’s 12 hits. Clark had a two-run home run and drove in three runs, and Ausmus hit a solo shot and had two RBIs.

The Tigers were ahead 4-2 and had runners on first and second with one out in the fifth when Morgan relieved starter Mark Clark. He needed only two pitches to get Tony Clark to ground into an inning-ending double play.

RBI singles by Ivan Rodriguez and Gonzalez tied the score, then a bases-loaded walk to Stevens put the Rangers ahead 5-4. Detroit starter Willie Blair (0-1) gave up five runs and eight hits in four-plus innings.

Palmeiro’s homer, an RBI single by Stevens and a run-scoring sacrifice bunt by Jon Shave increased Texas’ lead to 8-4 in the seventh.

Morgan, who allowed just one hit and struck out one, didn’t go out for the eighth because of a strained right hamstring.

His fellow relievers allowed Detroit to get within 8-7 in on RBI singles by Clark, Frank Catalanotto and Ausmus. But closer John Wetteland, the fourth pitcher of the inning, got Juan Encarnacion to groundout to short with runners on first and third for the final out. Wetteland finished for his first save.

The relief win was rare for Morgan. It was his first since July 27, 1989, for the Dodgers against the Astros. He’s won for every team he’s played for except Toronto, going 0-3 in 16 games in 1983.