American League Roundup : Wiggins Gets Off to Fast Start for Orioles, 6-3

Alan Wiggins made an auspicious debut with the Baltimore Orioles Friday night at Kansas City.

Wiggins, who helped San Diego win the National League pennant last season, reached base three times, drove in a run, scored once and stole a base to help the Orioles beat the Royals, 6-3.

The Padres refused to take back the controversial second baseman after he underwent drug rehabilitation for the second time in three years. They traded him to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Roy Lee Jackson and a player to be named.

The Orioles sent Wiggins to Rochester of the International League to get in shape. Although he had only two hits in his first 16 at-bats in Triple-A, the Orioles brought him up and put him in the lineup at the leadoff spot.

Wiggins grounded out his first time up against Mark Gubicza but singled in a run in the third inning. He was hit by a pitch and scored a run in the three-run fifth to help Mike Boddicker earn his ninth victory.

“I was a little nervous, at first,” Wiggins said, “but I was sure glad to make a contribution. I’m not 100%, but I’m close enough. My timing is good and my arm is loose.

“I didn’t feel that I have to prove anything on the field. The only thing I have to prove is off the field--and only to myself.”

Manager Earl Weaver liked what he saw of his new player. “That’s exactly what we’re hoping to get from him--life at the top of the order,” Weaver said.

“The day I came back to manage I was shaking so bad I could hardly sit down. I think I understood a little of what Alan was going through.”

The Orioles are 10-10 since Weaver returned as manager.

New York 6, Minnesota 3--Hot-hitting Rickey Henderson went 3 for 3, including a home run, to raise his average to .360, best in the majors. The win in New York gave the Yankees a 16-2 record against the West.

Henderson doubled in the first to trigger a three-run uprising, then homered in the second to get the Yankees off to a fast start. He also singled and was caught stealing for only the third time in 39 attempts. He has 33 hits in 67 at-bats in the last 17 games. His home run, his 11th, was a 400-foot blast.

He is only slightly hotter than Don Mattingly, who homered in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.

“I get on at the beginning of a game, and things happen,” Henderson said. “I’m just swinging the bat well. The big thing, though, is that we’re winning.”

Henderson’s hitting helped Dennis Rasmussen (3-4) gain his first win since May 11. Rasmussen, who had failed in his previous nine starts, went 5 innings, giving up three hits and two runs.

Chicago 8, Cleveland 3--After breezing to the 296th victory of his career in this game at Cleveland, Tom Seaver should have been a contented pitcher.

He wasn’t. He was angry because he gave up a three-run home run to Tony Bernazard in the ninth inning, spoiling Seaver’s bid for a shutout and a complete game.

“I hadn’t pitched well in the previous two games and I didn’t feel right at the start of this one,” Seaver said. “But I made progress as the game went on. There was no excuse for losing a shutout in the last inning.”

Rookie Jerry Reed retired the first 11 White Sox, but with two out in the fourth, he gave up a single to Harold Baines and a home run to Greg Walker. Tim Hulett hit a three-run home run in the ninth.

Texas 3, Detroit 1--Charlie Hough pitched a five-hitter at Arlington, Tex., to end a six-game losing streak. The knuckleball specialist was the league’s pitcher of the month of June in 1983 and 1984. But after winning his first start this June, he lost six in a row.

“It had been a while since I won one,” Hough said after pitching his eighth complete game and improving his record to 6-10. “I don’t necessarily mean that I haven’t pitched well, I just haven’t won.”

The Rangers beat Jack Morris (9-6), who had defeated them five times in a row. He went the distance, although he gave up nine hits.

Toronto 8, Oakland 2--Damaso Garcia had a pair of two-run singles, and Jim Clancy pitched a seven-hitter at Oakland as the Blue Jays increased their lead in the East to 3 1/2 games.

Dave Kingman led off the Oakland fourth with his 20th home run of the season and the 397th of his career. It was also the 800th run he has scored.

It was the third win in a row for Clancy and improved his record to 5-4.

Seattle 7, Milwaukee 6--Domingo Ramos’ bases-loaded single in the 11th inning scored Gorman Thomas to give the Mariners the win at Seattle.

Thomas opened the 11th off Rick Waits by ripping a double through the legs of third baseman Paul Molitor. Two intentional walks, sandwiched around a ground-out, loaded the bases.

The Brewers then pulled their outfield in, and Ramos, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the 10th inning, slammed a long fly ball to center for the winning run.

Ed Nunez, who gave up the tying run to Milwaukee in the ninth, was the winner.

Milwaukee tied it, 6-6, in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Molitor, scoring Jim Gantner, who led off the inning with a single off Seattle starter Matt Young and went to third on a single by pinch-hitter Dan Oglivie off Nunez.

Ted Simmons hit a solo homer for Milwaukee in the second inning and then capped a four-run third with a three-run homer.