American League Roundup : Real Indians Return and Lose to Rangers, 19-2

Suddenly, the Cleveland Indians, who had won 10 straight and moved into first place in the American League East, are starting to play like . . . well, Cleveland Indians.

Monday night at Cleveland, they lost their fourth straight game, which normally isn’t any great tragedy. But consider the score: Texas 19, Cleveland 2.

Also, the Rangers had 22 hits.

The 19 runs were the most in a game for Texas, which had scored 16 runs five times. The 22 hits also tied a team record.

Former Indian Toby Harrah drove in four runs for the Rangers, who have won three straight. Tom Paciorek went 5 for 6 and Larry Parrish keyed an eight-run sixth inning with a three-run homer. The score was only 1-1 before the Rangers’ sixth-inning outburst.

Charlie Hough (2-0) allowed four hits in six innings to get the win, while Mickey Mahler pitched three innings for his second save.

Neal Heaton (1-2) absorbed the loss, but it was a particularly unnerving night for reliever Jim Kern. Not only did he give up eight hits in 1 innings, a fan narrowly missed hitting him with a bottle as he left the game.

What’s more, the Rangers protested the game in the third inning. With one out, Cleveland executed what appeared to be an inning-ending double play. But second base umpire Drew Coble ruled that second baseman Tony Bernazard was off the bag.

First baseman Pat Tabler, thinking the inning was over, flipped the ball to first base umpire Mike Reilly, who held it while Texas’ Oddibe McDowell and Paciorek scampered home. But the umpire ruled time was out and made the runners return to second and third, which brought about the protest by Manager Bobby Valentine.

New York 9, Minnesota 8--Rickey Henderson broke an 0-for-18 slump with three hits, including a two-run homer, and Butch Wynegar added a three-run homer as the Yankees won at Minneapolis.

Dennis Rasmussen (3-1) coasted through eight innings then was chased in the ninth when the Twins scored six runs. Tim Laudner delivered an RBI single to start Twins’ uprising, and pinch-hitter Al Woods delivered a two-run single off Mike Armstrong before Kirby Puckett capped the inning with a three-run homer, his 12th.

Baltimore 4, Chicago 3--Pinch-hitter Jim Dwyer hit a pinch-hit homer with one out in the ninth and tie the game, 3-3, then Lee Lacy singled home Mike Young as the Orioles won at Baltimore.

After Dwyer’s homer, pinch-hitter Young walked and advanced to second on a bunt by Alan Wiggins. He scored on a head-first slide as he just beat the throw from left fielder Reid Nichols.

Kansas City 6, Detroit 5--Jim Sundberg’s three-run homer stretched his hitting streak to 10 games and carried the Royals to victory at Kansas City.

Steve Balboni had two hits and drove in two runs as the Royals handed the Tigers their fifth loss in six games.

Seattle 6, Milwaukee 0--Steve Yeager hit a three-run homer and Dave Henderson added a pair of solo homers to back Matt Young’s seven innings of three-hit relief as the Mariners won at Seattle. The Mariners have won three out of four games under new Manager Dick Williams.

Toronto 5, Oakland 3--Lloyd Moseby had three hits and scored three runs to lead the Blue Jays at Oakland. Joaquin Andujar (4-2) took the loss, ending his personal four-game winning streak. He lasted only one inning, giving up one run on two hits, before being forced to leave because of a strained hamstring.