American League Roundup : A’s Squelch Rumors, Yankees, 4-3

A number of rumors had to be straightened out Sunday in New York. Not the least was the one in the New York Post that said Yankee star Don Mattingly risks a grave back injury every time he swings the bat.

That turned out to be a false report, as did the one that said Mark McGwire has lost his home run swing and the one that said Ron Hassey has lost the knack of hitting.

Although he isn’t hitting the way he is expected to, Mattingly laughed at the story. “I haven’t had any day this year when I’ve played with back pain,” Mattingly, who was one for four, told the Associated Press. “If you know anything about back pain, when you have it, you can’t do anything. You don’t play through that type of pain.

“They would have you believe that I’m off to the hospital after every game and they wheel me back in for the next game.”

After going nine games without a home run, McGwire hit his 10th, Hassey also homered, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Yankees, 4-3, behind Mike Moore (6-3) for their first sweep over New York since 1973.

Shortly before the three-game weekend series, Hassey ended an 0-for-25 slump. He not only wasn’t getting hits, he never even hit the ball hard.

But he is hitting everything hard now. He was five for seven in the series and helped hand Clay Parker his first defeat after two wins as a Yankee.

“I don’t know what happened,” said Hassey, who started his resurgence with a homer off Roger Clemens last week. “But I’m drilling everything. For a while, I wondered if I would ever get a real hit again.”

Moore gave up one earned run and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings and lowered his earned-run average to 1.94.

McGwire, trying to carry the load in the absence of Jose Canseco, was only four for 25 when he homered in the fourth to put the A’s ahead to stay.

The Yankees, shut out by A’s pitching in the first two games of the series, ended the scoreless string by scoring a run off Moore in the first inning.

Toronto 7, Chicago 5--It was probably a good way to close out Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. George Bell, who enjoyed hitting there, hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning off Bobby Thigpen to end it.

Lloyd Moseby also hit a two-run home run for the Blue Jays, but he said he isn’t actually looking forward to playing in the new ballpark. The Sky Dome opens when the Blue Jays return home on June 5.

Kansas City 9, Detroit 5--The Royals continue to be happy they decided to give once-troubled Jim Eisenreich another chance.

The speedy outfielder hit two triples, scored twice and drove in a run at Kansas City to enable the Royals to complete a three-game sweep of the Tigers, who are 6-4 without Manager Sparky Anderson.

It didn’t do the Tigers much good that they played their 11th consecutive errorless game.

Cleveland 1, Baltimore 0--Joe Carter has built his reputation with the Indians as a power hitter. Suddenly, the big slugger has emerged as one of the best bunters in the game.

Carter beat out a bunt with two out and Felix Fermin on third in the ninth at Cleveland to end the surprising Orioles’ five-game winning streak.

Bob Milacki, in a tight duel with Greg Swindell (5-1), held the Indians, who had lost five in a row, to two hits in eight innings. But he walked Fermin to open the ninth. Mark Williamson came on with the count 2-and-0 on the next batter, who sacrificed. Fermin took third on an infield out.

When Carter fouled off the first pitch, third baseman Craig Worthington took a step back. That’s all Carter needed. Although he weighs 215 and is 6-foot-3, he is four for four on bunts.

Milwaukee 6, Seattle 4--The Brewers’ Terry Francona has regained his hitting stroke and scored the winning run, but the Mariners left Milwaukee claiming they were victims of a cheap shot that cost them a catcher.

Both benches emptied in the third inning when Billy Spiers threw a hook slide into Seattle catcher Dave Valle. Valle had already tagged home to force Spiers and was in the process of completing the double play to first when Spiers hooked him.

Valle sprained his ankle. He pounded the ground and screamed at Spiers. Nobody was hurt in the melee, but Manager Jim Lefebvre of the Mariners charged a cheap shot by Spiers.

Francona went four for four and is 17 for 37 in the last 10 games, raising his average to .252. Francona, after getting his fourth hit with one out in the eighth, scored from first to break a 4-4 tie on Paul Molitor’s double.

Texas 8, Minnesota 6--The Metrodome has improved the hitting of many ballplayers. Not in the least, it has helped Rick Leach of the Rangers.

Leach singled in the go-ahead run in a six-run ninth that carried the Rangers to victory. Leach is 26 for 57 (.456) in the Metrodome.

Randy Bush’s home run gave the Twins a 6-2 lead in the eighth. It was the Twins’ first home run in 62 innings.

ONE YEAR LATER The 1988 and 1989 Baltimore Orioles in comparison at this stage of the season:

Year Record GB/GA 1988 9-28 22 1/2 behind 1989 23-22 1 ahead