American League Roundup : Brett’s 2 Homers Help Black Beat Rangers, 5-0

George Brett hit a pair of two-run home runs Tuesday night at Arlington, Tex., to back the three-hit pitching of Bud Black as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Texas Rangers, 5-0..

Brett sent Frank Tanana on his way to his fifth consecutive defeat when he followed Willie Wilson’s single with his sixth home run of the season. He hit another in the eighth after a walk to Lonnie Smith.

It was the second time this season Brett, not so long ago one of the most feared hitters in baseball, hit two homers in a game.

For the first time in several years, the Royals’ third baseman is healthy. He missed 58 games last season with knee and hamstring ailments. During the off-season Brett worked out constantly and lost 20 pounds.

In 1980, when he flirted with .400, it was just about this time of the season when he started the hot streak that carried him above the .400 mark.

The left-handed batter is hitting left-handed pitching like the Brett of old. The first time he faced a left-hander this season, he had three hits against Neal Heaton of Cleveland. Last week he homered off Baltimore’s Scott McGregor. Earlier he hit a home run off Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees.

But when he hit two home runs off Tanana, it was the first time he ever hit two in a game off a left-hander.

“Facing left-handers makes me a better hitter,� Brett said. “The more I face, the better I’ll be. I wait on the ball better against lefties. When you face a string of right-handers, you think you’re in control. You get eager and start swinging at bad pitches.�

The Rangers rallied from a seven-run deficit Monday night to beat the Royals, but Black made sure the Rangers didn’t mount a rally.

“Bud has such stuff that he doesn’t need to pitch around hitters,� Royal Manager Dick Howser said. “He really looked quick to me. He was challenging the hitters.�

Boston 9, Minnesota 1--Bruce Kison, out since April 14 because of a hamstring injury, turned in a solid eight innings at Minneapolis to gain his first victory of the season.

Kison gave up seven hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. The Red Sox, coming out of a hitting slump, pounded out 16 hits to win for only the second time in seven games.

Dwight Evans (1 for 26) and Tony Armas (3 for 23) emerged from prolonged batting slumps. Evans had a single and a 442-foot home run over the center-field fence. Armas also had two hits, including his 11th home run, a 412-foot smash.

Randy Bush homered in the second inning to give the Twins an early 1-1 tie. But the Red Sox unloaded in the third when Evans and Armas hit home runs. Mike Easler emerged from a 4-for-43 slump with a double and scored the third run of the inning.

Toronto 4, Chicago 3--With George Bell on third and one out in a 3-3 game in the bottom of the ninth, Managers Bobby Cox of the Blue Jays and Tony LaRussa played their hunches.

Cox elected to stay with right-handed hitter Jeff Burroughs against hard-throwing right-hander Bob James. LaRussa, instead of walking Burroughs and Willie Upshaw to set up a possible double play, decided to pitch to Burroughs.

The winner was Cox. Burroughs lined a fastball past the outstretched glove of third baseman Luis Salazar for the game-winning hit. “I wasn’t surprised Bobby left me in there,� said Burroughs, who is batting .412 with men on base. “He knows I hit right-handers pretty good. James is of the Goose Gossage mold. He rears back and throws. Tonight, he threw the 95 m.p.h. fastball and I hit it.�

Cleveland 6, Milwaukee 4--Brook Jacoby hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning at Cleveland to put the Indians in front and the bullpen kept them there.

Bryan Clark held the Brewers, who blew a 3-0 lead, to a run and four hits in three innings for the victory, and Rich Thompson pitched 3 scoreless innings to save it. Both relievers were called up from the minors recently.

Oakland 3, Baltimore 2--Mike Boddicker walked Dwayne Murphy on four straight pitches with two out in the 10th inning, forcing in the run that gave the A’s a win at Oakland.

Boddicker (6-2) suffered his first loss since April 14. He allowed only six hits but he walked six batters, including three in the final inning. Oakland reliever Jay Howell (1-2) got the victory.

Alfredo Griffin walked to start Oakland’s winning rally. Dave Collins sacrificed and was safe at first when catcher Rick Dempsey failed to handle the bunt in front of the plate. Both runners then advanced on a sacrifice by Carney Lansford.

Bruce Bochte was walked intentionally, loading the bases, and Griffin was forced out at the plate for the second out when pinch-hitter Dan Meyer grounded to first.

Murphy then looked at four straight high pitches by Boddicker.

Yankees 11, Mariners 1--Rickey Henderson drove in four runs with a homer, double and single, and Dave Winfield contributed four hits to New York’s 15-hit attack at Seattle.

The game was delayed by 23 minutes in the top of the fourth inning when a power failure caused a brownout at Seattle.

Ron Guidry (4-3) allowed just three singles over eight innings. The only trouble he encountered came in the fourth, after the power problem, when the Mariners scored on an RBI groundout by Dave Henderson. Don Cooper pitched the ninth, giving up one hit.

Seattle starter Mark Langston (5-4) was knocked out in the first inning as he gave up four runs while retiring just one batter.

Henderson went 0 for 4, ending his 14-game hitting streak.