American League Roundup : A’s Use Power and Pitching to Defeat Toronto

Terry Steinbach hit a grand slam Sunday at Toronto as the defending American League champion Oakland Athletics continue to flex their muscles since Jose Canseco recently rejoined the team.

Steinbach’s homer propelled the Athletics to a 6-2 victory that gave them a split with the Blue Jays in the four-game series. With the Angels losing their third straight Sunday, the Athletics are only one-half game back in the West.

Other players have complained that the spacious SkyDome, the new home of the Blue Jays, is not a good place for home run hitters. But Canseco hit home runs there in two of his first three games and the Athletics hit seven in their first four games in the new park.

Mark McGwire hit his 19th of the season in the eighth inning Sunday. It was his second of the series.

The A’s power is indeed impressive. Equally impressive is their pitching, and one of the most effective pitchers in the league has been Mike Moore.

Although Moore, a hard-throwing right-hander, had only one winning season in his seven years with Seattle, he was much in demand when he became a free agent following the 1988 season. The A’s had to outbid the Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, among others, to get him.

Moore, making his 20th start this season, pitched six strong innings. He gave up six hits and an unearned run, the result of his own poor throw to second base. But until his batterymate, Steinbach, hit a Duane Ward pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh, he was a 1-0 loser. The win improved his record to 12-5. He was 18-34 the previous two years.

The A’s marvel at Moore’s consistency. He has given up more than three runs in only three outings. His worst start was his first when he gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

“He’s been under pressure since he signed a multi-year contract with a new club,” A’s Manager Tony LaRussa said. “But he’s been a quality pitcher right from the start and we would be in deep trouble without him.

“He has been a great addition to our club. It seems that every time we lose a couple of games, it’s Mike’s turn and he puts us back on the winning track.”

Steinbach is sorry that the Athletics and Blue Jays don’t meet again this season.

“I don’t know what it is about this club that brings out the best in me,” Steinbach said. “My only other slam was against Mike Flanagan last July.

“I don’t think he (Ward) wanted to throw the pitch he did in that situation. It was a slider in and I was just trying to hit a fly ball to get us even.”

Todd Burns pitched the last 2 1/3 innings to pick up his seventh save.

Detroit 8, Seattle 5--The going hasn’t been easy for Tracy Jones since he went from the pennant-contending San Francisco Giants to the last-place Tigers.

But the outfielder did his part to end one of the worst Tiger slumps in years. He hit a three-run home run at Detroit and the Tigers’ 10-game losing streak came to an end.

Charles Hudson didn’t pitch very effectively, giving up six hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings, but he won his first game since July 4, 1988.

The homer was Jones’ third since coming to the Tigers on June 16. Lou Whitaker hit his 19th homer and Alan Trammell hit his third for the Tigers.

“There’s always next year,” Jones said. “Meanwhile, I’ll play every game like we’re shooting for first place.”

Cleveland 11, Texas 5--Brad Komminsk has long since forgotten the pressures that came with being a No. 1 draft choice and is just enjoying his return to the majors.

Komminisk drove in four more runs at Cleveland to give him nine in the last three games and 14 in 10 games since he joined the Indians.

After spending most of the last 10 seasons in the minors hearing about how he flopped as the top prospect of the Atlanta Braves, the 28-year-old outfielder has stopped worrying.

“That was all so long ago when the Braves drafted me,” he said. “I just want to prove to myself that I can play up here. And, maybe I can prove it to a few others, too.”

Komminsk walked with the bases loaded in a six-run first inning, then hit a three-run home run. He has three homers and is batting .333.

Komminsk is one of several newcomers who have pumped life into the Indians’ offense. The Indians began the weekend as the lowest scoring team in the league, but they scored 29 runs in three games. Recent additions Joey Belle, Paul Zuvella and Dion James have also contributed.

New York 10, Kansas City 1--Greg Cadaret is not accustomed to a starting role, but he doesn’t think it will be a problem adjusting.

Cadaret, obtained from Oakland in the Rickey Henderson trade, made his second start in 119 major league appearances in this game at New York.

Cadaret, who didn’t have to face the injured Bo Jackson, held the Royals to a run and six hits in seven innings before rain forced the game to be shortened to 6 1/2 innings.

“I felt I could hold them down early and give us a chance to win,” said Cadaret, who will get another start.

Chicago 2, Milwaukee 0--Jeff Torborg called his first half season as manager of the White Sox the worst experience of his baseball life. Four wins in a row is making the second half considerably brighter.

Rich Dotson pitched five hitless innings before Robin Yount spoiled things with a single in the sixth inning at Chicago, but he gave up just one hit in 7 1/3 innings for his first win since rejoining the White Sox.

Minnesota 4, Boston 3--Ed Romero’s single off Randy St. Claire in the top of the 11th inning at Minneapolis gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

But St. Claire became the winning pitcher when, with one out in the bottom of the inning, Tim Laudner singled with runners on second and third to bring the Twins from behind for their second win in a row.

Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek hit consecutive homers for the Twins in the eighth.