American League Roundup : Barfield’s 3-Run Homer in 11th Gives Blue Jays an 8-5 Win Over Orioles

Ken Dixon threw Jesse Barfield one curveball too many.

Barfield hit a three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the 11th inning Saturday to give the Toronto Blue Jays an 8-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Dixon (3-5) struck out Barfield, who was 0 for 4 until the homer, on curveballs in his two previous times at the plate.

“You can’t throw a hitter breaking ball after breaking ball,” Barfield said. “Sooner or later he’s going to catch up to you and that’s what happened.

“They walked the guy in front of me (Lloyd Moseby) and that was like a slap in the face. It’s like having a pail of cold water thrown on you.”

With two out in the 11th, Tony Fernandez tripled to right-center. After Dixon walked Moseby intentionally, Barfield ripped a 3-and-1 pitch for his 14th homer.

Jeff Musselman (4-1), Toronto’s sixth pitcher, allowed one hit in 1 innings to give the Blue Jays their seventh victory in eight games. Baltimore has lost 7 of 8.

Toronto had tied the score, 5-5, on Charlie Moore’s two-run homer in the eighth. For Moore, playing his first game since signing with the Blue Jays Friday, it was first homer since Sept. 28, 1986, when he played for Milwaukee.

Oakland 6, Cleveland 4--Dennis Eckersley pitched six perfect innings of relief, and the A’s beat the Indians on Ron Cey’s two-run homer in the eighth at Oakland.

The Athletics trailed, 4-0, after three innings, but Eckersley (4-4) relieved Moose Haas and retired the last 18 Indians in order. He struck out five.

Carney Lansford doubled home the first run for the A’s in the fourth off Greg Swindell (3-6), who struck out 10. Jose Canseco followed with a three-run homer to tie it.

Cleveland’s Joe Carter hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Brook Jacoby tripled later in the inning and scored on Brett Butler’s single. Tony Bernazard’s RBI single in the third made it 4-0.

Detroit 5, Boston 3--Mike Heath hit a two-run single in the 14th inning at Boston to push the Tigers past the Red Sox after 4 hours 51 minutes.

Eric King (3-4) pitched 5 innings of one-hit relief. Wes Gardner (0-3) took the loss.

The Red Sox tied the score, 3-3, on a run-scoring single by Dwight Evans in the eighth after Detroit took the lead in the top of the inning on Matt Nokes’ RBI single.

Boston’s Wade Boggs hit his 10th homer, a career high.

Milwaukee 7, New York 6--B.J. Surhoff’s bunt scored Cecil Cooper from third base with two out in the ninth inning, and the Brewers beat the Yankees at Milwaukee.

Surhoff’s drag bunt beat Yankee bullpen ace Dave Righetti (4-2). Dan Plesac (1-0) blanked the Yankees for the final 1 innings.

The Brewers got even, 6-6, in the eighth on Surhoff’s sacrifice fly.

The Yankees took a 6-4 lead in the top of the eighth on Gary Ward’s two-run single and Dave Winfield’s two-run homer.

Ron Kittle hit a two-run homer for the Yankees and Paul Molitor had a solo shot for the Brewers.

Kansas City 5, Seattle 2--Steve Balboni drove in all the runs for the Royals with a home run and a double, and Charlie Leibrandt allowed the Mariners only six hits at Seattle.

Balboni hit a two-run homer off Scott Bankhead (6-4) in the fifth inning to put the Royals ahead, 2-1, and added a three-run double in the sixth inning.

Leibrandt (7-4), who needed last-out relief from Dan Quisenberry, struck out four and walked two.

Seattle’s Phil Bradley hit his third homer in the sixth.

Minnesota 3, Texas 2--Steve Lombardozzi’s drive to left-center field scored Tom Brunansky from first base with two out in the 13th inning, and the Twins outlasted the Rangers at Minneapolis.

Lombardozzi stopped at first base and was credited with a single off Mitch Williams (3-3). Keith Atherton (3-1) pitched the 13th and got the victory.

Mark Salas, traded to the Yankees for knuckleballer Joe Niekro effective at the game’s conclusion, tied the score, 2-2, with a pinch homer in the ninth.

Oddibe McDowell hit his fifth homer for the Rangers.