AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Quieter Henderson Keeps Leading A’s

Rickey Henderson might be better known because of his base-stealing, but Dave Henderson is the Oakland outfielder who is leading the Athletics in their bid for a fourth consecutive American League pennant.

He hit his league-leading ninth home run Saturday at New York and drove in five runs to lead the Athletics to a 10-2 victory over the Yankees. It was the 17th victory for the A’s in the last 18 games between the clubs.

It also provided a situation with no pressure for Steve Howe to make his return to the majors after being suspended six times for alcohol and drug abuse. The former Dodger pitched a hitless ninth in his first appearance since Oct. 4, 1987.

Howe was pleased after his 14-pitch effort. “I made it. If I don’t pitch another inning, I got back,” he said.

While the outspoken Rickey Henderson is in the limelight, Dave Henderson simply goes out and plays. Ever since he hit a dramatic home run for the Boston Red Sox against the Angels in the 1986 championship series, he has made a habit of coming up with big hits.

Now 32, he is off to his best start. Henderson went three for four to take over the batting lead with .377. His 26 runs batted in leads the league.

Henderson hit a three-run homer to highlight a six-run third inning that enabled rookie Kirk Dressendorfer to improve his record to 3-2. Dressendorfer gave up only two hits in seven innings.

With Rickey Henderson leading off and Dave Henderson batting second, the A’s are in position for a fast start. Rickey was one for three, walked twice, stole a base and scored twice.

“I only hit my home run 400 feet, the wind carried it the other nine feet,” Dave Henderson said.

Toronto 5, Chicago 2--Dave Stieb was unhappy with the way he had been pitching. Instead of changing his style, he merely changed part of his uniform.

Stieb, who wore different pants than normal and stirrups instead of paint-on socks, held the White Sox to five hits in seven innings at Toronto and improved his record to 4-2.

Charlie Hough (0-2) went the distance for the White Sox and became the 40th pitcher to get 2,000 strikeouts.

For the Blue Jays, Glenallen Hill hit a two-run homer and a triple.

Boston 5, Texas 4--Ellis Burks, who has had trouble in similar situations, singled with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at Boston to lead the Red Sox to their fourth consecutive victory.

Burks went hitless in his previous 11 at-bats with the bases loaded.

Dana Kiecker (2-0) yielded six hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings. Joe Hesketh held the Rangers hitless for two innings after a three-run sixth, and Jeff Reardon pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings his 10th save.

Minnesota 5, Detroit 4--Brian Harper’s bunt squirted through the right side of Detroit’s charging infield in the seventh inning at Minneapolis and Kirby Puckett raced home from second with the winning run.

The bunt was Harper’s fourth hit and raised his average to .377.

Travis Fryman hit a three-run homer in the first inning to help the Tigers take a 4-0 lead.

Kansas City 4, Milwaukee 2--Kirk Gibson hit a long home run at Milwaukee to help Tom Gordon get his second victory.

Gordon gave up five hits and struck out eight in handing the Brewers their sixth defeat in a row.

Gibson’s home run, his seventh, was hit to center and made it 3-0 in the third.

Baltimore 11, Seattle 5--Mike Devereaux homered to start a six-run fifth inning at Seattle and the Orioles ended the Mariners’ six-game winning streak.

Devereaux and Cal Ripken Jr. each had three hits and Dwight Evans also homered for the Orioles, who had lost three in a row.