American League Roundup : Orioles End Slump, Get Moreland

Even when they finally win, the Baltimore Orioles lose ground.

An error by Kansas City catcher Bob Boone enabled the Orioles to score an unearned run in the 13th inning and beat the Royals, 4-3, Friday night at Kansas City, ending an eight-game losing streak.

But with the surging Cleveland Indians sweeping a doubleheader from Boston, the Orioles’ lead in the American League East dropped to 3 1/2 games.

The Orioles, who went into the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead, only to blow it, got help from two Royal Gold Glove fielders to win it.

With one out in the 13th, Joe Orsulak singled and went to second when second baseman Frank White fumbled Jim Traber’s grounder. Orsulak reached third on Jeff Montgomery’s wild pitch. When Boone tried to throw out Traber going to second on the play, he threw wild, and Orsulak raced home.

Before the game was completed, the Orioles announced that they had obtained Keith Moreland, the Detroit Tigers’ leading hitter, in exchange for minor league pitcher Brian Dubois. Moreland, 35, is batting .295.

Cleveland 3-2, Boston 2-1--When their top pitcher, Greg Swindell, went on the disabled list, the Indians feared that they might not have enough pitching to make it to the top in the East.

But Tom Candiotti, who has pitched well since coming back from his rotator-cuff problem, won the opener at Cleveland, and the Indians got another fine performance from Rod Nichols, just up from the minors, in the nightcap.

Candiotti pitched a five-hitter, and Andy Allanson hit a home run in the seventh inning to win the first game. Candiotti has given up just one earned run in 23 innings since launching his comeback two weeks ago.

Nichols, called up from Colorado Springs, pitched a strong 8 1/3 innings in the second game. When Brad Komminsk hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, Nichols became the winner.

“I’m just trying to establish myself as a big league pitcher,” Nichols said. “I just went out there and did the best I could.”

Among the people he impressed was Wade Boggs of the Red Sox, who had two hits.

“He threw hard,” Boggs said. “He was sneaky fast and when he dropped the curve in there, it made a difference.”

Oakland 8, Seattle 7--Carney Lansford singled home the winning run in the 11th inning at Oakland to give the Athletics their first victory in nine extra-inning games this season.

The A’s loaded the bases with no outs against Gene Harris (1-4) on infield hits by Stan Javier and Mike Gallego and an intentional walk to Rickey Henderson. Lansford, who had been 0 for 7 with the bases loaded this year, then singled to right field.

Both teams scored in the 10th. The Mariners made it 7-6 when Greg Briley tripled and Darnell Coles singled with two outs. Oakland tied it against Mike Schooler when Dave Parker singled, pinch-runner Lance Blankenship stole second and Mark McGwire hit an RBI single.

Oakland’s Bob Welch, pitching on the day his mother died and his wife gave birth to a son, left the game after seven innings with a 6-3 lead. The Mariners scored three times in the eighth.

Toronto 6, New York 2--With the trading deadline less than 48 hours away, Toronto’s George Bell gave his team something to think about.

The outfielder, the American League MVP as recently as 1987, is roundly booed wherever he goes.

He answered the boos in New York when he hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning. It was only his 10th homer of the season and his first in 36 games.

There have been rumors that the Blue Jays are working on a trade with Houston involving the controversial outfielder.

The Yankees fell to 47-54, the first time in five years that they have been seven games below .500.

Milwaukee 15, Texas 3--Robin Yount hit two doubles at Arlington, Tex., to extend his hitting streak to 18 games and lead the Brewers in their rout of the Rangers.

The Brewers had 15 hits, including Greg Brock’s two-run home run, four walks and three hit batsmen.

Detroit 6-3, Minnesota 4-7--Rookies Kevin Ritz of the Tigers and Mike Dyer of the Twins each earned his first major league victory in the doubleheader at Detroit.

In the opener, Ritz gave up four hits in six innings to beat Frank Viola.

In the second game, Dyer also went six innings, giving up five hits and getting the victory.