American League Roundup : Here Comes the Sun: Yankees’ Hall Goes From Hero to Goat as A’s Win

Mel Hall’s home runs played a prominent part in the New York Yankees’ nine-game winning streak.

But when the streak came to an end Saturday in Oakland, it was a glaring mistake by their left fielder that was a major factor.

Clay Parker of the Yankees and Mike Moore of the Athletics were locked in a scoreless battle in the bottom of the sixth inning of a game that had featured some excellent defensive plays.

There were two out with Tony Phillips on second when Carney Lansford hit a high fly into short left. Hall waved everybody off. But Hall forgot to flip down his sunglasses and lost the ball in the sun. It fell beside him for a run-scoring double. Jose Canseco hit the next pitch for his 13th home run to end an 0-for-13 slump and send the Athletics to a 7-0 victory.

Said Hall, who had hit five home runs in the Yankees’ previous 11 games: “The ball was out of the sun, then it was in the sun, then it was out of the sun, then it was in the sun again. I guess I was just waiting for the sun to move. At least, I didn’t get hit in the head, if that’s any consolation.”

Dave Henderson and Rickey Henderson also homered for the Athletics, and Moore (17-9) ended his personal three-game losing streak. He pitched a four-hitter for his third shutout and sixth complete game.

In his previous two games, Moore had given up 18 hits and 12 runs in 12 2/3 innings. He escaped trouble in the first inning when Steve Balboni hit a sharp grounder to deep short with runners on first and third. Backup shortstop Mike Gallego made a diving stop, leaped up and threw the slow Balboni out to end the threat.

It was after a one-sided loss to the Athletics (19-5 on Aug. 29) that the Yankees launched the winning streak that earned new Manager Bucky Dent a chance to try again next year.

The Athletics are 27-7 in day games on their home field and 43-14 overall in the daylight.

Moore’s 17th victory matched his high with Seattle in 1985. It also gave the A’s a shot at four 20-game winners. Storm Davis will go for his 17th today, Dave Stewart has 19 and Bob Welch has 16. All figure to get four more starts.

Toronto 7, Cleveland 5--It takes a lot to beat the Blue Jays these days. The Indians kept coming back at Cleveland, but with two out in the 16th inning, Fred McGriff rapped a two-run single to give Toronto its 10th victory in the last 12 games.

McGriff’s hit, which came after two walks and an error loaded the bases, was the only one the Blue Jays got in the seven extra innings.

Three times earlier, the Blue Jays had built a lead, and each time the Indians caught them. The Indians used all 20 position players and seven pitchers in the marathon, which lasted almost 5 1/2 hours.

The Indians, who tied the score on Joe Carter’s second home run of the game, in the eighth inning, loaded the bases with nobody out in the 13th and couldn’t score.

Two force-outs at the plate and a pop-up to shortstop foiled that bid.

Carter’s two home runs gave him 31 for the season.

Frank Wills (2-1) gave up two hits in four innings to gain the victory.

Baltimore 4, Texas 2--On a rainy night in Texas, the Orioles kept pace with the Blue Jays, and they only needed 10 innings.

While the Blue Jays had to go 16 to remain 1 1/2 games ahead in the East, the Orioles, on Randy Milligan’s two-run homer, won at Arlington, Tex.

Gregg Olson, who struck out Fred Manique to end the ninth with two runners on base, picked up the win when Milligan hit his first home run in 31 games.

Steve Buechele hit a 423-foot home run, a two-run smash, for the Texas runs in the fifth inning.

Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1--Bret Saberhagen brightens when he wakes up and sees rainy, gloomy weather on days he is to start. It was such a gloomy night in 1985 when Saberhagen pitched the Royals to the World Series championship against St. Louis.

Saberhagen (18-6) had that type of weather again at Kansas City and held the Twins to three hits in eight innings.

Bo Jackson drove in all three Royal runs with two doubles.

The victory kept the Royals 3 1/2 games behind Oakland in the West.

Milwaukee 7, Seattle 3--Paul Molitor went five for five to lead the Brewers to their fourth consecutive victory and hand the Mariners a club-record 10th loss in a row at home.

The Mariners have now lost 19 of their last 23 games.