AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gibson Gets Fat Against Thin Yankee Pitching

Kirk Gibson hit two home runs and drove in four runs Sunday at Kansas City to lead the Royals to a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees.

It would have been more impressive against a team with better pitching, but it was gladly accepted by the former Dodger slugger.

Gibson hit homers in the first and eighth inning to provide another new Royal, Mike Boddicker, his first victory in his second well-pitched game. Gibson, who signed as a free agent last winter, last hit two homers in a game in July, 1988, for the Dodgers.

Boddicker pitched eight scoreless innings. He has a 1-1 record, though he has given up just one earned run in 17 innings as a Royal.

The Yankees’ pitching is so bad that giving up five runs in a game is better than usual. In the previous three games, the opposition scored 28 runs.

Gibson, who tripled on opening day, hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Andy Hawkins, who pitched one of the better games by a Yankee pitcher, giving up four runs in six innings.

“I’m trying to battle through inconsistency,” Gibson said. “Today good things happened for the first time.”

Boddicker pitched well despite a pregame injury.

“I strained a muscle in my butt,” he said. “It hurt a little the whole game.”

It wasn’t all joy for the Royals. Mark Davis, a flop last season, is off to another rocky start. He started the ninth, retired only one batter and gave up three hits and three runs. That enabled Jeff Montgomery to get his third save.

Oakland 7, Seattle 6--First, Dave Henderson came through with the hit that took Dave Stewart off the hook at Oakland. Henderson then singled in the ninth inning and wound up scoring the winning run.

It was a rare off night in April for Stewart. His 20-game winning streak in baseball’s first month was in danger when he gave up five runs on five hits in the first two innings.

He departed soon after Jay Buhner’s homer in the sixth gave winless Seattle a 6-4 lead.

With two out and Walt Weiss on first in bottom of the inning, Henderson’s drive to right hit the foul line, Weiss scoring. On the play at the plate, the ball took a bad hop, hit catcher Dave Valle and bounced into the A’s dugout, allowing Henderson to score the tying run.

Mark McGwire’s two-out single scored Henderson in the ninth, leaving the Mariners at 0-6.

Texas 15, Baltimore 3--In case you were wondering, Nolan Ryan, at 44, can still pitch like a young fireballer.

Ryan survived a shaky start at Arlington, Tex., to pitch the Rangers to their first victory after four defeats. It was his first victory over the Orioles since 1976.

Rafael Palmeiro had four hits and drove in three runs to lead the Rangers’ 16-hit attack.

Ryan walked two batters in the first and Sam Horn, who had struck out in all six of his previous at-bats this season, hit a home run.

Ryan, who gave up only one more hit and struck out nine in seven innings, pitched his fourth no-hitter against the Orioles June 1, 1975. In 15 starts since then he was 1-11 against the Orioles.

“After the first,” Ryan said. “I thought I pitched pretty well.”

Brian Downing, two for three in his debut for Texas Saturday, was two for three again with three RBIs in the leadoff spot.

Toronto 9, Milwaukee 0--Jimmy Key pitched a two-hitter and hot-hitting rookie Mark Whiten singled twice in a six-run second inning at Toronto.

Key, who is 2-0, has helped the Blue Jays (5-2) get off to their best start.

Key, 13-7 last year despite spending more than a month on the disabled list with arm problems, pitched just the 21st complete game in a career that started in 1984.

“The key was getting ahead with a first-pitch fastball,” he said. “I only threw 117 pitches and that’s when I can go nine.”

Four Milwaukee pitchers struck out 14 Blue Jays.

Cleveland 6, Boston 0--Albert Belle, the Indians’ young power hitter, insists he’s no Superman. He’s just acting like him.

Belle hit two home runs and drove in four runs at Boston to help Tom Candiotti win his second game in a row.

Belle, who played in nine games late last season, had a big spring and he’s still hot.

He has three home runs and has driven in seven runs in six games.

Candiotti gave up four hits and struck out nine in seven innings. Three relievers finished up the shutout. One of them, Jesse Orosco, lasted only a third of an inning. He was gone after walking two batters in a row with a 5-0 lead.

The Red Sox are 2-4 and tied for last in the East.