American League Roundup : Andujar Loses, Talks of Quitting

After next season, Joaquin Andujar said, umpires will not have him to kick around any more.

Andujar made that declaration after a balk call led to the Oakland right-hander’s 3-2 defeat Friday night at New York.

Going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Andujar was locked in a 2-2 tie with Yankee pitcher Dennis Rasmussen. But New York’s Rickey Henderson led off with a grounder to first base that Carney Lansford fumbled for an error. Henderson then stole second, his 71st steal of the season.

When Henderson bluffed a steal of third, Andujar twisted his shoulder toward second but did not come off the rubber, and third base umpire Rich Garcia called a balk. Henderson scored the winning run on Willie Randolph’s bloop single to right.

Andujar has been relatively calm this season after last fall’s temper tantrum and bumping of umpire Don Denkinger in the final game of the World Series, when Andujar played for St. Louis. That incident resulted in a suspension for the pitcher at the start of this season.

But after Friday night’s tough defeat, Andujar was beside himself.

“I’m a winner,” he told the Associated Press. “I’m no loser. I don’t want to lose a game like that. But that’s what happens the whole year. I was waiting for that. I expected that.

“How many guys do I pick off at first base, and they never call them out, but they see the balk every time? If they want me out of baseball, they’re going to get it. I’m retiring after next season. I’m serious. I will retire after next year.

“I never get a call on the corners. I have to throw the ball down the middle.”

Andujar (7-6) has lost four of his last five decisions. He went the distance in this one, giving up seven hits, including Mike Pagliarulo’s 27th home run.

“I think I got him a little upset,” Henderson said. “Of course, I think he got angry that I got on by an error in the first place.”

A’s Manager Tony LaRussa admitted he saw the hotly disputed balk but added: “There’s no way you can call Andujar the losing pitcher, but that’s what it’s going to say tomorrow morning.”

Immediately after the game, Rasmussen (13-4) left for Omaha, where his wife, Sharon, is about to give birth. He was supposed to leave after Thursday night’s game, but it was rained out and his departure was delayed 24 hours.

Dave Righetti pitched the ninth inning for the Yankees and became the first pitcher to register 30 saves this season. For the final out of the game, Righetti got slump-ridden Jose Canseco on a pop fly. Canseco went hitless in four at-bats and is 0 for 37.

The Oakland runs came in the fourth when Lenn Sakata singled and Lansford followed with his 12th home run. Rasmussen gave up only two other hits in eight innings.

Boston 6, Cleveland 3--The Indians cut 18 runs off the Red Sox production, but to the chagrin of a crowd of 45,138 at Cleveland, they still couldn’t beat the Eastern Division leaders.

Thursday night the Red Sox humiliated the Indians, 24-5, but through six innings of this one, the Indians led, 3-2.

Bill Buckner brought the Red Sox from behind in the seventh with a two-out, two-run single. Boston added an unearned run in the eighth, and in the ninth, Don Baylor hit his 24th home run of the season.

Wade Boggs, who failed to get any of the Red Sox’s 24 hits Thursday night, singled to start the winning rally in the seventh. Boston remained six games ahead in the East.

Detroit 4, Seattle 1--Rookie Eric King (9-3) is having success by showing American Leaguers his fastball and getting them out with an assortment of off-speed pitches.

In gaining his ninth victory since being brought up May 14, King gave up just four hits and improved his Tiger Stadium record to 5-0.

King, 22, drew praise from Manager Dick Williams of the Mariners and raves from Tiger pitching coach Billy Muffett.

“He’s the best young pitcher in the American League,” Muffett said. “The thing that impressed me tonight is that he didn’t try to overthrow. He’s getting better every time he goes out there.”

Texas 11, Chicago 3--Jeff Russell, a flop as a starter, is finding his niche as a relief pitcher for the Rangers. In this game at Arlington, Tex., Russell improved his record to 5-2 by pitching four scoreless innings.

When Russell, who was 13-29 in three years as a starter, took over in the fifth, the Rangers held only a 4-3 lead. But when he turned it over to Greg Harris in the ninth, it was 11-3.

Gary Ward doubled in two runs in the fourth to give the Rangers the lead for good, and they went on to pull within four games of the Angels in the West.

Minnesota 4, Toronto 3--Greg Gagne, a .233 hitter, had the first two-homer game of his career at Minneapolis and helped Bert Blyleven improve his record to 13-10.

Kansas City 4, Milwaukee 2--Danny Jackson survived a rocky fourth inning at Milwaukee to improve his record to 9-8.

Jackson was within one out of going the distance, but with the tying run at bat, Dan Quisenberry came in to get the last out and his 11th save.

Hal McRae homered to start a three-run fourth inning that led the Royals to victory.