American League Roundup : Brown Pitches Rangers to Seventh Straight Win

A year ago, Kevin Brown was struggling to end a long minor league losing streak. Now, he’s one of the reasons the Rangers are off to their best start in 17 seasons in Texas.

Brown, in his second solid start, pitched a seven-hitter Saturday at Detroit as the Rangers, with Scott Fletcher going three for three, beat the Tigers, 4-1. The Rangers, who have won seven games in a row, have a 9-1 record and a 2 1/2-game lead in the American League West.

Brown, a 6-foot 4-inch right-hander from Georgia Tech, was the fourth player chosen in the June 1986 draft. But he struggled in the minors. When he lost his first three decisions last spring at Tulsa, it increased his losing streak to 14 games over two seasons.

He finished with a 12-10 record at Tulsa and was 1-1 with the Rangers at the end of the season.

Last Sunday, in his first start this season, he gave up four hits and one earned run in 7 1/3 innings.

Saturday, he walked one, struck out five and allowed just the one unearned run. He also impressed Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson.

“His ball really moves,” said Anderson, whose Tigers (2-6) are off to their worst start since 1980. “It looked like it had a lot on it. The kid looks like he could be a great pitcher.”

Brown wasn’t all that excited about the victory.

“If you go through the kind of seasons I’ve had, you either learn to accept pressure or you sink,” he said.

Bobby Valentine, a former Dodger starting his fifth season as manager of the Rangers, quoted his first major league manager.

“Walter Alston used to say a victory now is just as good as one in September. So I’m looking at this as a good time to win,” Valentine said.

After the Rangers, who have had only one winning year (1986) under Valentine, fell to 70-91 last season, there was speculation this was his final shot.

With outstanding pitching and timely hitting, especially from Ruben Sierra and Julio Franco, the Rangers are hot.

In the last seven games, they have yielded 15 runs, and only five runs in the last four games. They have won five in a row on the road.

In their only loss this season, they scored nine runs but lost when they failed to hold a 9-7 lead.

Kansas City 10, Toronto 5--Pat Tabler doesn’t know why, but he is possibly the best bases-loaded hitter in major league history.

Tabler’s bases-loaded single in the seventh inning drove home the go-ahead run at Toronto, and the Royals added four more in the ninth to sew it up.

In a career spent mainly with the Cleveland Indians, Tabler has displayed an uncanny ability to deliver with the bases loaded. Being traded to the Royals for pitcher Bud Black hasn’t affected this ability.

He is 38 for 66 with the bases full and the hits have produced 90 runs batted in.

The Royals had to overcome a five-run first in which the Blue Jays hammered Bret Saberhagen from the mound before he could get out of the inning.

But Luis Aquino pitched 6 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and when the Royals battled back, he improved his record to 2-0. A former Blue Jay, Aquino has held his former team scoreless for 15 2/3 innings in three appearances.

Bo Jackson had three hits, including his third home run, and drove in three of the Royals’ runs.

Baltimore 12, Boston 4--The new-look Orioles resorted to an old weapon--the three-run home run--in this game at Boston.

Larry Sheets and Brady Anderson hit the three-run homers in a seven-run ninth inning that broke open a tight battle.

The victory moved the Orioles (5-5) into a tie for first place in the East.

Jeff Ballard improved his record to 2-0, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up six hits and two runs.

Chicago 7, Oakland 4--Dave Gallagher hit a three-run home run, only the sixth homer in his career, to highlight a five-run second inning at Chicago.

The blow beat pitcher Bob Welch. The runs were unearned, because with two out and one on, Steve Lyons grounded to shortstop Mike Gallego. Gallego double-pumped on the throw to first and it was called an error. The TV replay indicated Lyons was out.

Milwaukee 5, Cleveland 1--Rob Deer hit two home runs at Milwaukee as the Brewers ended Tom Candiotti’s eight-game winning streak. It was the knuckleballer’s first defeat since last July 22.

Deer’s two-run smash gave Chris Bosio (2-0) a 4-1 lead in the sixth. He his his fourth home run of the season in the eighth.