AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Vaughn Dispels Idea of Demotion With His Bat

Although he hit 17 home runs in his first full season last year, Greg Vaughn was having his troubles this spring.

The Milwaukee Brewers had just about given up on the 25-year-old outfielder. There were reports he was going back to the minor leagues.

Then Paul Molitor was injured, and the Brewers needed a designated hitter.

Vaughn, a right-handed power hitter from Sacramento, was available. He quickly made the Brewers change their minds about sending him down.

Vaughn hit his fourth home run in three games and the Brewers outlasted the Orioles, 5-4, Friday night at Baltimore.

After hitting his fourth home run in his last seven at-bats to tie the score in the fifth inning, Vaughn walked and scored the winning run on Bill Spiers’ single in the seventh.

With Molitor back as the designated hitter, the Brewers found a spot for Vaughn--left field.

“I’m trying not to do too much,” Vaughn said. “My first at-bat (a strikeout) I was over-aggressive and got away from my game plan. Then I went back to the basics, because good things happen when you stay within yourself.

“Everybody’s been coming through. It hasn’t been just my homers.”

Darren Holmes pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief to get his first victory and Molitor returned with three hits.

Mike Devereaux hit two solo home runs for the Orioles, who have lost six of their last eight.

Kansas City 5, Boston 3--The visiting Red Sox pitched carefully to Kirk Gibson and ended his home run streak at four games.

But maybe they were a little too careful. With the score tied, 3-3, Gibson walked and stole second with one out in the eighth inning. After a walk, Mike Macfarlane drilled a double into left-center field to drive in two runs and give the Royals their third victory in a row.

Mike Boddicker (2-2) who won 32 games the past two seasons for the Red Sox before signing as a free agent with the Royals, beat his former mates. He gave up five hits and three runs in eight innings. Jeff Montgomery pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Cleveland 5, Texas 2--With one out in the ninth inning, Brook Jacoby doubled, Nolan Ryan made a wild pitch and Sandy Alomar Jr. singled in the winning run.

When Carlos Baerga hit a home run with two out in the first inning for the Indians, it ended Ryan’s scoreless string at 13 1/3 innings. Ryan (2-2) pitched 8 1/3 innings, struck out nine and walked two.

Mark Lewis made a memorable major league debut. Called up to replace injured shortstop Felix Fermin, Lewis singled in his first at-bat. After Ryan departed, Lewis doubled in the extra run.

Toronto 5, Detroit 4--The Blue Jays have won four out of five from Detroit by one run this season.

Greg Myers’ two-run run double capped a fourth inning outburst that gave the Blue Jays a 5-1 lead.

But the Tigers pulled to within a run when Rob Deer homered in the seventh inning and Lou Whitaker homered in the eighth.

But, for the second night in a row, Duane Ward pitched a scoreless ninth to save the victory.

New York 3, Chicago 2--Matt Nokes singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning at Chicago to give the Yankees the victory.

Brian Drahman, who retired Hensley Meulens on a flyball with the bases loaded to end the 10th, was the losing pitcher.

In the 11th inning, Jesse Barfield singled, Jim Leyritz sacrificed and Nokes drove Barfield home.

Greg Cadaret, a loser in relief three times, pitched 1 1/3 innings for his first victory.

The White Sox led, 2-0, after the second inning. Tim Raines led off the second with a single, only his second hit in 27 at-bats left-handed.

Minnesota 6, Seattle 0--Scott Erickson pitched a five-hitter for his first major league shutout at Minneapolis and the Twins won for the fifth time in the last six games.

Kirby Puckett and Dan Gladden each had three of the Twins’ 15 hits. Chili Davis drove in two runs with a home run and a single.