AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McDonald Feels Right at Home, 2-0

The Baltimore Orioles’ new stadium seems to be a pitcher’s delight.

Ben McDonald made it three shutouts in as many games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, beating the Cleveland Indians, 2-0, Thursday night.

McDonald gave up two hits, walked one and struck out nine. He retired the final 13 Indians and 18 of the last 19.

On opening day, Baltimore’s Rick Sutcliffe pitched a five-hit shutout. On Wednesday, Dave Otto and Rod Nichols combined to blank the Orioles.

The roomy power-alleys (410 feet to deepest left-center) and the slow infield in the new stadium are giving it a reputation as a pitcher’s park.

“No doubt about it,” said Baltimore third baseman Leo Gomez. “To get a base hit, you’ve got to hit a line drive. Two bounces in the infield and you can forget about it.”

In three games at Camden Yards, the Indians and Orioles combined for only 27 hits.

Jack Armstrong (0-1) gave up two runs and six hits in six-plus innings. One of those hits was a solo homer by Mike Devereaux, the Orioles’ first in the new ballpark.

Oakland 5, Kansas City 2--Mark McGwire hit a solo homer and a run-scoring double as the Athletics defeated the Royals at Oakland.

A .201 hitter last year, McGwire has five hits in 10 at-bats. He continued his hot start by hitting his first home run off Royal reliever Joel Johnston with one out in the seventh.

“I think he came to spring training really ready to show what he can do,” Oakland Manager Tony La Russa said. “He’s been a tough out.”

After Jose Canseco and Harold Baines had one-out singles in the fifth, McGwire hit a double down the left-field line.

“I’m just playing. I don’t talk about hitting,” McGwire said. “I’m not talking about hitting. I’m going to be very boring this year.”

Ron Darling’s bid for his first shutout in 3 1/2 years ended when Jim Eisenreich hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning. Darling, who left after the homer, gave up six hits.

Dennis Eckersley, the third Oakland pitcher, got the final two outs for his second save.

Toronto 3, Detroit 1--Juan Guzman matched his career high with 10 strikeouts and Dave Winfield hit his first home run for the Blue Jays as they completed a three-game sweep at Detroit.

Guzman, 10-3 last season, gave up three hits in seven innings and walked four. Tim Henke pitched a one-hit eighth and Duane Ward pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

Walt Terrell, 12-14 in 1991, gave up all three runs and six hits in 8 1/3 innings.

Minnesota 3, Milwaukee 1--Pedro Munoz, starting in place of Shane Mack, hit a tiebreaking, two-out single in the eighth inning at Milwaukee.

Luis Quinones singled off Jaime Navarro (0-1) to start the eighth. Kirby Puckett grounded out and Chili Davis followed with a single. After Randy Bush fouled out, Munoz singled to left-center for a 2-1 lead.

Munoz played in place of Mack, who was hit in the head by a pitch from Mike Fetters on Wednesday night. Mack was released from the hospital later in the evening and was available to pinch-hit in the game, but was not used.

Bill Krueger (1-0), who pitched for the Brewers in 1989 and 1990, gave up four hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out two.

“I think I got over that hump in spring training, any doubt about whether I could pitch or not,” Krueger said. “I’m not the same guy they saw in the Metrodome last year a couple of times.”

New York 3, Boston 2--Red Sox pitcher Frank Viola, who took a two-hit shutout into the sixth inning, gave up an RBI double to Robert Kelly and a two-run double to Danny Tartabull as the Yankees swept the two-game series at New York.

Viola, signed by Boston as a free agent for $13.9 million over three years, was pitching in the American League for the first time since 1989. The 31-year-old left-hander gave up three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked one.

Trailing 2-0, the Yankees went ahead in the sixth when Charlie Hayes singled, Don Mattingly walked with two outs, Kelly doubled to the gap in left-center and Tartabull--batting with first base open and ahead 3-and-1 in the count--doubled to left.

Texas 9, Seattle 1--Ruben Sierra hit a three-run homer and rookie Monty Fariss homered and drove in three runs as the Rangers completed a four-game sweep at Seattle.

Texas had 50 hits in the series and scored 38 runs.

The Rangers got a strong performance from Jeff Robinson, who gave up eight hits in eight innings, struck out three and walked none in his debut with the Rangers.

Robinson, 4-9 with Baltimore last season, was signed by the Rangers as a free agent.

The Mariners are two losses away from equaling their 0-6 start of last season.

The Rangers are off to their best start since a 6-0 beginning in 1979.