AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Tigers Continue to Play a Role in Tightening Race in the West

It is shaping up as a good race in the American League West.

The Detroit Tigers, having trouble catching the Toronto Blue Jays in the East, are playing a prominent role in tightening the West.

Bill Gullickson survived a three-run home run by Chili Davis in the eighth inning to pitch the Tigers to a 6-3 victory over Minnesota Wednesday night at Detroit. The Twins are in first, but Texas, Chicago and Oakland are all only four games behind. It was the Tigers’ second victory in a row over the Twins.

Gullickson is a big reason the Tigers are second in the East. He is having a big season.

The 32-year-old right-hander spent two seasons in Japan when his major league career was not going well. He returned last season and was 10-14 at Houston. The Astros released him and he signed with pitcher-hungry Detroit.

Gullickson, who won 17 games in 1983 at Montreal, is approaching that figure as the ace of the Tiger staff. He has a 13-5 record, and no pitcher in the league has won more.

The Tigers built a 4-0 lead against David West, and Gullickson was cruising. But Gullickson walked a batter in the eighth and with two out Kent Hrbek singled. Davis hit his 21st home run. Mike Hennemen took over and earned his 15th save.

Boston 2, Texas 1--Oil Can Boyd pitched well in his debut with the Rangers at Arlington, Tex., but he was upstaged by Joe Hesketh.

Hesketh, a veteran left-hander making a strong comeback, gave up only two hits in 6 2/3 innings to improve his record to 4-1. Brian Downing had one of the hits, a drive that hit the foul pole in left for a home run.

Boyd, who arrived in Arlington at 2 a.m. Wednesday after being obtained from Montreal, gave up both Red Sox runs and six hits in five innings.

The Red Sox ended a six-game losing streak and stopped the Rangers’ four-game winning streak and prevented them from moving within three games of Minnesota.

“I wasn’t at all disappointed in Oil Can,” Texas Manager Bobby Valentine said. “I didn’t want him to make too many pitches after being up all night flying. He will be a big help.”

Oakland 8, Cleveland 4--It is obvious that the Athletics, though struggling a bit, are not ready to be counted out in the West.

Steady Jose Canseco hit a two-run home run at Cleveland, but there were two other developments that gave the A’s hope.

Eric Show, giving up only one earned run in six innings, earned his first victory in the American League.

Dave Henderson, who carried Oakland the first couple of months, has been in a prolonged slump. But he tagged one of the better pitchers in the league, Greg Swindell for a two-run home run to tie the score in the sixth.

He singled ahead of Canseco’s 24th home run in the seventh that assured Show his victory.

The third victory in a row for the Athletics left them only four games behind the Twins.

After three consecutive hits, Henderson still wasn’t ready to claim his slump was over.

“I stink,” he said. “I’m swinging awful. I’m a terrible hitter, right now.”

Toronto 2, Chicago 1--Quietly, David Wells, a relief pitcher until last season, has become an outstanding starter.

The 28-year-old left-hander from Torrance stretched his winning streak to seven games with another strong performance at Chicago.

Wells (12-4) gave up six hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings. Wells has won 10 of his last 11 decisions. He is a big reason why the Blue Jays lead the East by six games.

John Olerud hit his 12th home run for the Blue Jays’ first run and Joe Carter singled in the other run in the fifth inning.

Jack McDowell (12-5) gave up 10 hits, but struck out nine and pitched his league-leading eighth complete game. It was only his second loss in his last nine decisions.

New York 10, Seattle 2--Mel Hall collected four hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs at New York to make it easy for rookie Jeff Johnson to improve his record to 4-3.

In a bizarre play in the fourth inning, the Yankees scored three runs on a weak grounder to the pitcher.

With Kevin Maas on third and Alvaro Espinoza on second and one out, Pat Kelly grounded to pitcher Erik Hanson. Hanson had Maas trapped off third. In the rundown, though, third baseman Edgar Martinez hit Maas.

Maas scored and catcher Dave Cochrane rushed to retrieve the ball as Espinoza raced home. Cochrane’s throw went into the dugout, Espinoza and Kelly scoring to make it 6-1.

Hall’s home run gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the third.

Kansas City 7, Milwaukee 4--The West is such a wide-open battle the Royals refuse to be counted out.

With Todd Benzinger continuing his torrid hitting at Kansas City, the last place Royals crept to within nine games of first place.

Benzinger, who hit a grand slam Tuesday night, had four hits and drove in three runs.

George Brett had three hits, but it was Kirk Gibson who drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth.