American League Roundup : Hurst, Red Sox Right at Home in Fenway, 6-1

Roger Clemens is recognized as the ace of the Boston Red Sox staff, but Bruce Hurst is enjoying the role of stopper in 1988.

Hurst raised his record to 17-5--and 11-1 in games that follow a Boston loss--as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-1, Monday night at Boston.

With the victory, the Red Sox maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League East and took a 4 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees.

“The key is to keep on winning,” Boston Manager Joe Morgan said after he received word of Detroit’s victory and New York’s loss. “They can’t catch us if we keep winning.”

Hurst was given an early 5-0 lead. He gave up one run on nine hits in 6 innings and won for the eighth time in nine decisions.

Hurst is 12-1 at Fenway Park this season. The victory was his 55th at home, tying him with Babe Ruth for second place among the winningest left-handers at Fenway. Mel Parnell is the all-time leader with 71.

“It’s nice to be 3 1/2 up, given the way we played on the recent road trip (6-7),” Hurst said. “We just keep gaining ground. We just have to keep winning. That’s the bottom line. It’s in our hands and we’ve got to win.”

Ellis Burks had three hits and scored three runs.

Wade Boggs reached a career milestone with his 107th walk of the season in the fourth. It was the 300th time he has reached base this season. He is only the sixth player in major league history to do it in five or more years.

Detroit 6, Toronto 5--Chet Lemon hit a three-run homer and scored the go-ahead run on Darrell Evans’ pinch-single in the eighth inning at Toronto as the Tigers ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Blue Jays.

Detroit, which had lost 17 of 20 games, regained sole possession of second place in the East.

Mark Huismann (1-0) went 1 innings for the victory. Guillermo Hernandez relieved with runners on second and third and got the final two outs for his ninth save.

Cleveland 8, New York 6--Greg Swindell beat New York for the second time in a week and rookie Luis Medina hit a two-run homer at Cleveland as the Indians broke the Yankees’ winning streak at four games.

Swindell (16-13) gave up nine hits in 8 innings. Six days ago, he beat the Yankees, 1-0, on three hits.

Cleveland’s Cory Snyder returned from an eight-game layoff because of a broken foot and drove in two runs with three hits.

The Yankees rallied for five runs in the ninth on a three-run homer by Jack Clark and solo home runs by Luis Aguayo and Joel Skinner. Doug Jones, the third pitcher of the inning, entered with a runner on first base, and Rickey Henderson got an infield single.

Jones then struck out Claudell Washington for his 33rd save. Jones has allowed just one home run in his last 135 innings. Washington had hit two game-winning homers in the last three days against Detroit.

Chicago 2, Milwaukee 1--Mike Diaz and pinch-hitter Russ Morman singled home runs with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning at Chicago as the White Sox rallied past the Brewers.

Chicago’s comeback against relief ace Dan Plesac dropped Milwaukee 5 1/2 games behind Boston in the American League East. The Brewers, who have 16 games left, are seven games down in the loss column.

Mike Birkbeck shut out the White Sox on four hits for seven innings and reliever Chuck Crim got the next four outs. Plesac retired Steve Lyons on a routine fly for the second out, but Harold Baines doubled and Carlton Fisk was intentionally walked.

Morman, a .222 hitter, dropped a pop fly single in short right field that scored pinch-runner Carlos Martinez with the tying run. Donnie Hill, running for Fisk, took third and came home on Diaz’s single to left.

Plesac (1-2) had converted his last 13 save opportunities. Barry Jones (1-2) got the victory.

Seattle 3, Minnesota 1--Mike Moore pitched a five-hitter and Henry Cotto hit a leadoff home run in the first inning as the Mariners defeated the Twins at Seattle.

Moore (8-14) struck out six and walked one in his team-high eighth complete game.

Cotto hit his eighth homer on a full-count pitch from Allan Anderson (13-9). It was the first leadoff home run by the Mariners.

The Twins’ defeat dropped Minnesota 11 1/2 games behind Oakland and reduced to eight the Athletics’ magic number for clinching the West.