American League Roundup : Salazar Leads Detroit to 12-5 Win Over Seattle

For someone whose career appeared over because of a freak injury in 1985, Luis Salazar is doing quite well.

The utility player who spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres has been an important reason for the Detroit Tigers’ success in the American League East.

Salazar, 32, has played every position except catcher and center field and has still managed to keep his average around .300.

As he has done often this season, Salazar sparked the Tigers Wednesday at Seattle. Salazar singled to start a nine-run, fifth-inning rally and later in the inning doubled home a run and scored again in the Tigers’ 12-5 victory over the Mariners.

Doyle Alexander (9-5) didn’t pitch very well, but with the big inning, which was helped by two Mariner errors, he didn’t need to.

Working with a 12-2 lead in the sixth, Alexander gave up three doubles and did not retire a batter. In 5-plus innings, he yielded 13 hits. But the Tiger bullpen checked the Mariners the rest of the way.

“It’s just another time when Luis came through,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “He has been as important as anybody on this club. He is a blue-collar guy, a journeyman. He represents what this club is all about more than anybody.”

After five seasons with the Padres, Salazar was one of the players sent to the Chicago White Sox in the LaMarr Hoyt deal after the 1984 season. While playing third base the next season, he dived for a ball, dropped it, then fell on it knee-first. The injury was so severe he underwent surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period.

He rejoined the Padres last year, but at the end of the season he was released. The Tigers gave him a chance and have never regretted it.

The Tigers sent 13 batters to the plate in the big inning, during which three of the runs were unearned. Seattle had more hits than the Tigers, 17-10, and had more doubles, 8-5. The 13 doubles were 3 short of the league record.

“You cannot give the Tigers six outs in an inning, or they will kill you,” Mariner Manager Jim Snyder said.

Cleveland 5, Oakland 4--John Farrell struck out 10 batters in 6 innings at Oakland but needed help from reliever Doug Jones to improve his record to 10-6.

The Indians built a 5-0 lead against Dave Stewart (12-9) in the first three innings, but after Mark McGwire singled home a run in the seventh inning, it was a 5-4 game.

Jones came in and held the Athletics to 1 hit in the last 2 innings to earn his 23rd save. He has picked up a save in each of his last 19 opportunities.

Stewart settled down after the rocky start and pitched his ninth complete game of the season.

Kansas City 4, Milwaukee 0--The way Charlie Leibrandt of the Royals and Teddy Higuera of the Brewers were going at Milwaukee, it didn’t appear either team would score.

But the Royals, with Willie Wilson driving in the first run with a single, broke up the scoreless battle in the 13th. A few minutes after Wilson’s hit, George Brett hit a three-run double, and the Royals’ six-game losing streak was over.

Leibrandt limited the Brewers to four hits in eight innings before Tom Filer lost it in the 13th. Higuera went 9 innings, giving up 3 hits and striking out 10.

Boston 9, Minnesota 7--The Red Sox remained unbeaten under new Manager Joe Morgan when Todd Benzinger hit a three-run home run to bring the Red Sox from behind with one out in the 10th inning at Boston.

The Twins, with a chance to cut Oakland’s lead in the West to 4 1/2 games, scored two runs off Boston reliever Lee Smith in the top of the 10th to take a 7-5 lead.

The Red Sox answered with two walks and rookie Jody Reed’s double to score a run in the bottom of the 10th. The Twins then elected to have Keith Atherton pitch to Benzinger with first base open. Benzinger hit a 2-2 pitch into the right-field stands for his fifth home run.

Morgan became the first manager in Red Sox history to win his first seven games. It was his first game as manager without the interim title. It was also the 12th straight victory at home for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox, who also had a home run from Larry Parrish, had given a 5-0 lead to starter Roger Clemens through five innings. But Clemens was knocked out in the seventh after giving up three runs in the sixth.

Wade Boggs had three hits to improve his average to .361.