American League Roundup : A’s Put Squeeze on Red Sox to Keep Them From Tying Tigers in East

The Oakland Athletics will start worrying about their American League Championship Series opponent only after they clinch the West.

That day keeps getting closer. Meanwhile, they just keep making it rougher on the contenders in the East.

Glenn Hubbard squeezed in the only run Tuesday night at Oakland as the Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox, 1-0, to move nine games ahead in the West and keep the Red Sox from moving into a tie with the Detroit Tigers for the lead in the East.

Hubbard’s bunt gave Dave Stewart (16-11) the victory in a duel with Roger Clemens (15-10). Stewart went the distance, giving up just five hits.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for Clemens, who hasn’t won since July 30. He pitched 6 innings, allowed 9 hits and struck out 9. He has 257 strikeouts, just one short of Smoky Joe Wood’s club record set in 1912.

Stewart, who leads the league with 14 complete games, improved his career record against Clemens to 3-0 and has an earned run-average of 2.53 in those meetings. Against Stewart, Clemens has a 5.12 ERA.

Clemens, who was 4-0 in July with an ERA of 1.64, finished August with a record of 0-5 and an ERA of 7.33.

Carney Lansford opened the sixth with a single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. After Terry Steinbach struck out, Clemens threw a pitchout to Hubbard. Hubbard took a full swing and fouled the ball. On the next pitch he executed the squeeze.

Chicago 4, Detroit 1-- There is no end in sight to the skid of the Detroit Tigers.

Red-hot Carlton Fisk had three hits and drove in a run at Chicago to lead the White Sox to victory.

The injury-riddled Tigers lost shortstop Alan Trammell for a few games because of a groin injury, then lost their fourth in a row and their seventh in the last eight games. They are 13-16 in August.

Fisk, 40, is 21 for 51 (.412) with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 14 games.

The Tigers, who haven’t hit much of anything for the last month, made a winner of Jeff Bittiger. Bittiger, a 26-year-old right-hander, entered the game with a record of 1-4 and an ERA of 4.42. He lasted 5 innings, giving up five hits and a run to double his victory total.

Walt Terrell (7-11), pitching with just three days’ rest because the Tiger staff is depleted, went the distance, allowing 12 hits.

Manager Sparky Anderson tried to put a finger on what’s wrong with the Tigers.

“I don’t know, “he said. “We haven’t been hitting. Injuries haven’t helped. But you don’t cry about that ‘cause nobody is going to listen to you.”

In addition to Trammell, the Tigers are also without pitcher Jeff Robinson, on the disabled list, and Dave Bergman. Bergman, the Tigers’ best hitter this month, also has a groin injury.

Seattle 7, New York 1--The Yankees are still just 5 1/2 games behind in the East, although they are 0-5 on their final trip West.

Scott Bradley hit a three-run home run at Seattle to back the 5-hit pitching of Mike Campbell (5-8) and Bill Wilkinson.

It was the sixth loss in a row for the Yankees, who have been outscored 48-9 in the last 44 innings.

After the game, the Yankees announced they had obtained relief pitcher Dale Mohorcic from the Texas Rangers for reliever Cecilio Guante.

Mohorcic is 2-6, with 5 saves and an ERA of 4.85, and Guante is 5-6 with 11 saves and a 2.88 ERA.

Texas 8, Minnesota 6--Cecil Espy hit only his second home run of the season with one out in the ninth inning at Arlington, Tex., and it came with a man on to beat the Twins.

Bobby Witt, given an early 5-0 lead, failed to set a Ranger record of 10 consecutive complete games when he just made it through the eighth.

Espy hit his home run off Juan Berenguer (8-4).

Milwaukee 6, Toronto 2--Rob Deer hit two home runs at Milwaukee and drove in five runs to help Ted Higuera continue his comeback.

Higuera (12-8), plagued by back and shoulder problems for more than half the season, won his fifth in a row. He gave up eight hits and both Toronto runs before Chris Bosio took over with one out in the eighth.

In his last 35 innings, Higuera, an 18-game winner last season, has given up only four earned runs.

Cleveland 4, Kansas City 1--Tom Candiotti held the Royals to a run and five hits in six innings at Kansas City, to improve his record to 11-8. He is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.59 since coming off the disabled list Aug. 19.

Bo Jackson of the Royals had to leave the game in the fifth when he reinjured a hamstring running out an infield hit.