AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Fielder’s Homers Power Tigers Past Twins, 6-3

It came as a major surprise last season when Cecil Fielder, after spending the previous year in Japan, led the majors in home runs and runs batted in.

The heavyweight designated hitter-first baseman failed to make it in parts of four seasons with Toronto before hitting 38 home runs in Japan.

Nothing the powerful right-handed hitter does surprises anyone anymore.

Fielder hit two home runs and drove in five runs Tuesday night at Detroit to lead the Tigers to a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Fielder took over the lead in the majors in home runs (26) and runs batted in (77).

It was a double blow for the Twins, who have threatened to run away in the American League West. In the second inning, Jack Morris, who had won 10 of his last 11 games, was hit in the right forearm by a line drive hit by Milt Cuyler.

Morris, who served up a two-run home run to Fielder in the first inning, was rushed to a hospital. X-rays proved negative and the veteran right-hander might not miss a turn.

Allan Anderson (4-8) replaced Morris, and Fielder hit his three-run home run off him in the fifth inning to break it open.

“It hit me on the fleshy part of the forearm, and I immediately had two knots the size of golf balls,” Morris said. “I walked right off the mound because I knew I couldn’t throw with that kind of swelling.”

Frank Tanana (7-6) won his fourth in a row, his longest streak since 1983. He went six innings, giving up two runs and four hits.

“I left because I felt a tightening in my shoulder,” Tanana said. “I missed my last turn and I don’t want to miss more.”

The Tigers, picked to finish seventh in the East, moved to within six games of first-place Toronto. With their power, they don’t figure they are out of the race.

“I’ve always said baseball’s the greatest game in the world,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “Where else will you find so many idiots who know everything. We’ve been fooling them, and maybe we’ll keep it up.”

Oakland 10, Cleveland 7--Maybe the problem with the Athletics this season is the lack of killer instinct.

When they were dominating the league the last three years, once they went in front it was almost always their game. Usually, the only decision was by how much they would win by.

This season, with so many pitchers ailing for such a big part of the season, the Athletics have trouble holding leads.

They built leads of 3-2 and 6-3 early, but needed four runs, three of them the result of an error, in the ninth inning to win at Cleveland.

Still, there were anxious moments before Dennis Eckersley got the last Indian in the bottom of the ninth. The Indians scored a run in when Carlos Baerga completed a five-for-five game. Center fielder Cole, representing the tying run, almost made amends for dropping the fly ball that let in three runs. He hit a long drive that went foul at the last second. On the next pitch he struck out.

Chicago 3, Toronto 2--Joey Cora singled home the winning run with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning at Chicago, and his hit tightened both pennant races.

The White Sox, in winning their fifth in a row, moved to within four games of Minnesota in the West. The Blue Jays’ third loss in a row cut their lead in the East to six games.

Carlton Fisk opened the ninth with a single off Tom Candiotti (9-9). A sacrifice, a single and an intentional walk loaded them for Cora.

Seattle 6, New York 1--Ken Griffey Jr., coming on strong after an early-season slump, hit his first grand slam and Randy Johnson pitched a strong eight innings at New York.

Johnson gave up four hits and struck out nine as the Mariners improved their record against the Yankees to 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

Griffey’s home run came against Lee Guetterman. Rookie Scott Kamieniecki (4-2) lost it when Harold Reynolds singled home two runs in the fifth.

Texas 5, Boston 4--Ruben Sierra, too sick with the flu to start the game at Arlington, Tex., managed to make it to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the fifth.

Sierra’s two-run single climaxed a four-run inning and gave the Rangers their fourth victory in a row.

It also made a winner of Nolan Ryan (6-5), who set a major league record by making his 545th consecutive start without a relief appearance. It was Ryan’s 308th victory. Goose Gossage picked up his 308th save.

Kansas City 8, Milwaukee 7--Todd Benzinger hit a grand slam and drove in five runs at Kansas City as the Royals barely held off the Brewers.

B.J. Surhoff drove in four runs for the Brewers, including two in the ninth to come within a run before Jeff Montgomery got the final out.

Danny Tartabull reached base four times with a hit, two walks and was hit by a pitch. He took over the batting lead (.333) from Cal Ripken Jr.