American League Roundup : Suddenly, A’s Mike Davis Turns Into a Slugger

In his first nine seasons as a professional baseball player, there was no indication that Mike Davis would develop into a power hitter.

But in his 10th season, his fifth with Oakland, Davis is suddenly the major league home run leader and the American League leader in runs batted in.

Davis hit two home runs, drove in a career-high six runs and scored four runs Wednesday at Milwaukee to lead the A’s to a 19-3 victory. It was the worst loss ever suffered by the Brewers.

The 25-year-old outfielder has 12 home runs. In 354 major league games before this season, Davis hit 19 home runs. His 1985 total equals his career high. In 100 games at Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League in 1982, he hit 12.

Davis, batting .325, has scored 33 runs and driven in 31. Last season in 135 games and 382 at-bats, he hit .230, had 9 home runs, scored 47 runs and drove in 46.

Oakland Manager Jackie Moore believes Davis can keep up his hot streak. If he really believes it, why is Davis still in the No. 7 spot in the batting order? Budding Babe Ruths don’t bat that far down in the lineup.

“Sure he can keep it up,� Moore said. “I don’t know how good he might be. He’s made a major adjustment that is paying off. He’s staying back (in the box) better this year.

“It’s tough growing up in the majors, but he’s done it. I’m sure he’s no fluke.�

Davis, who gives much of the credit for his impressive hitting to Coach Billy Williams, isn’t as optimistic as his manager.

“I’m not a homer hitter,� Davis said. “I’m a line-drive hitter. They’re just coming right now.

“When I slow down, it’ll be others who will be getting the basehits. We’re playing team ball. We’re solid all the way around.�

On the other hand, maybe Davis, a native of San Diego, is destined to be a hitter. He went to Hoover High, the same school that Ted Williams, a pretty fair hitter, attended.

The Athletics used 19 hits and 8 walks to produce their run total.

Minnesota 5, Detroit 4--The Twins returned home, and the late-inning lightning that destroyed them on the road ended. In this game at the much-maligned Metrodome, Randy Bush singled with two out and the bases loaded in the 11th to give the Twins the win.

Curt Wardle, who served up the grand slam to Ken Griffey that beat the Twins in the seventh inning Tuesday at New York, pitched one inning to win his first game in the majors.

The Twins, who lost four of their previous five games on home runs late in the game, saw Kirk Gibson hit a two-run homer in the ninth to send it into extra innings, and they must have wondered if history was going to repeat.

New York 6, Texas 5--The Yankees are 9-5 since Billy Martin replaced Yogi Berra as manager. One reason for the turnaround is a change in luck. They’ve been getting some breaks lately.

In this game at New York, the Yankees won their third in a row, pulling it out in the 10th.

With runners on first and third and one out, the infield playing in, Butch Wynegar bounced to first. First baseman Pete O’Brien, who had handled 311 chances without an error, charged the ball and had a play at the plate. But O’Brien fumbled the ball, and Dave Winfield raced home with the winning run.

Seattle 7, Boston 1--Mark Langston was wild, but he was also stingy. In seven innings at Boston, Langston walked seven, but the only hit he gave up was the first major league home run for rookie catcher Marc Sullivan.

Gorman Thomas, Alvin Davis and Jim Presley homered to help Langston win his fifth.

Chicago 5, Baltimore 2--Greg Walker hit a three-run home run with one out in the eighth inning at Chicago to give Tom Seaver his 292nd career victory.

Despite a 33-minute rain delay in the fourth inning, the 40-year-old Seaver gave up only four hits in eight innings to improve his record to 4-1.

Before long, teams are going to stop pitching around Harold Baines to pitch to Walker. The Indians did it Tuesday night, and Walker singled in the winning run in the eighth. In this one, with a man on second in a 2-2 game, Baines was given an intentional walk, and Walker hit it out.

Kansas City 5, Cleveland 1--The Indians would gladly have settled for the first rainout of the season in this game at Cleveland.

But the rain, which fell in the first inning, delayed the Indians’ third consecutive defeat only 43 minutes.

Steve Balboni slugged a two-run home run in the second inning, and Charlie Leibrandt (4-2) made it stand up, pitching a six-hitter.