American League Roundup : McGwire Hits Record-Tying 38th Home Run, but Athletics Lose, 8-2

Mark McGwire, who had not hit a home run this month, hit his 38th Tuesday night at Seattle to tie the major league record for rookies.

McGwire hit his 37th home run to tie the American League record against the Angels July 29. He failed to hit a home run in the next 11 games.

With 49 games remaining, McGwire is virtually certain to break the record he shares with Wally Berger (Boston Braves 1930) and Frank Robinson (Cincinnati 1956).

McGwire hit the home run off Mike Moore in the seventh inning. He had gone 43 at-bats without a home run since hitting his 37th, which tied the record set by Al Rosen in 1950.

Despite McGwire’s home run, his Oakland Athletics were trounced, 8-2.

Kansas City 8, New York 5--Manager Lou Piniella is having more trouble with his pitching staff than he is with New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

While the owner continues to find fault with his manager and his players, Piniella is getting the kind of pitching you would expect from a last-place team.

Ron Guidry, counted on as the stopper, gave up six runs in the first inning at Kansas City, and when George Brett and Danny Tartabull hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth, the Royals had an 8-5 victory.

Beneficiary of all the runs was Bret Saberhagen, who didn’t pitch very well but managed to become the first pitcher in the majors to win 16 games this season.

Saberhagen, who had lost all four starts since the All-Star break, gave up 10 hits and five runs in six innings before Jerry Don Gleaton came to the rescue.

Saberhagen said it was tough trying to concentrate on pitching. Saberhagen arrived only a few hours before the game. He and his wife had flown to Los Angeles Monday because their son, almost 2, had suffered second-and-third degree burns Sunday.

“His spirits lifted when he saw us,” Saberhagen said. “It was hard trying to keep my mind on the game.”

The defeat dropped the Yankees into third place in the American League East, 1 1/2 games behind Toronto.

Unless Piniella can find somebody, besides Tommy John, who can get people out, it will only get worse. In the last 12 games, which includes a shutout by John, Yankee pitchers have given up 92 runs and 131 hits.

Piniella refused to discuss Steinbrenner’s latest blast that followed Monday’s defeat. Steinbrenner made sarcastic remarks about the players’ support of Piniella.

Royal Manager Billy Gardner expressed sympathy for Piniella.

“He’s playing without two of his best players (Willie Randolph and Rickey Henderson), and look at the pitching staff he has to work with,” Gardner said.

Toronto 8, Boston 3--A key to the Blue Jays’ success this season is left-hander Jimmy Key. After a shaky start, Key recovered to pitch his seventh complete game and improve his record to 14-6 in this game at Boston.

Key gave up three runs in the first four innings, then settled down to pitch an 11-hitter and beat the Red Sox for the third time this season. He gave up nine of the hits in the first four innings.

“I was just trying to hang in there,” he said. “I got down on myself a bit, but finally, I straightened out. I’ll take the victory.”

With the score tied, 3-3, Jesse Barfield hit his 24th home run to put the Blue Jays in front, and Kelly Gruber homered to ignite a three-run seventh. The win increased Toronto’s lead in the East to 1 1/2 games.

Texas 7, Milwaukee 1--Although he couldn’t do much about the final score, Paul Molitor had three hits at Milwaukee and extended his hitting streak to 26 games, longest in the majors since 1985.

Molitor tripled in the only Brewers’ run in the fifth. Greg Harris had the rest of his teammates under control and breezed to the victory.

Detroit 9, Chicago 6--It wasn’t one of Frank Tanana’s better games, but the Tigers scored seven runs in the first two innings at Chicago and Tanana improved his record to 13-7.

Alan Trammell singled in a run in the three-run Tiger first and hit a three-run homer in the second.

Tanana lasted six innings, giving up five runs and eight hits. The victory moved the Tigers into second place in the East.

Cleveland 6, Baltimore 3--Mel Hall drove in three runs, and Cory Snyder hit his 26th home run at Baltimore as the Indians overcame another home run barrage by Larry Sheets.

Sheets hit two home runs, the third time he has hit two in a game in the last five games. He has hit eight home runs in the last nine games and 24 this season.

Scott Bailes (6-4) won his third straight decision but needed help from Doug Jones in the seventh.