Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 6

FINAL TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1987 THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC C3 Saberhagen becomes majors' first eight-game winner Republic Sports Wires CHICAGO Bret Saberhagen pitched a six-hitter and became the major leagues' first eight-game winner, and Jorge Orta and Steve Balboni homered, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Saberhagen (8-1) pitched his fifth complete game. Saberhagen was 7-12 last year after winning the Cy Young award with a 20-6 record in 1985. He walked two, struck out six and lost his shutout bid when Tim Hulett hit a homer with two outs in the ninth inning. "I would have liked to have had the shutout, but I'm not that disappointed," said Saberhagen, who lowered his ERA to 1.65.

"I wasn't warmed up properly because I didn't expect the game to start on time (because he expected rain). Usually I take 15 minutes to warm up, but I think I only got 10 tonight." The victory was the 16th in the last 21 games for the Royals. Blue Jays 6, Mariners 5 SEATTLE George Bell drove in five runs and hit two homers, including a tie-breaking, three-run shot in the eighth inning. Seattle had taken a 3-2 lead in the seventh on Rey Quinones' fifth home run. With one out in the Toronto eighth, Tony Fernandez singled and continued to second on an error by left fielder Phil Bradley.

Ranee Mulliniks' single tied the score, and Seattle starter Mike Morgan (4-5) left after walking Willie Upshaw. Bell greeted Steve Shields with his second home run of the game. Red Sox 10, Indians 6' BOSTON Rookie Ellis Burks hit his first grand slam, breaking a 6-6 tie. Burks, who ended a 2-for-26 slump, homered on the first pitch from reliever Mark Huismann (0-2) in the fifth inning. Jim Rice had led off the inning with a single.

Rich Gedman doubled him to third and Spike Owen walked to load the bases. Tigers 8, Rangers 5 DETROIT Matt Nokes homered in his first two at bats and Lou Whitaker added a three-run homer as Detroit won its 10th in 12 games and reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 20. The Rangers scored in the first inning on Ruben Sierra's bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but the Tigers had four runs in both the first and third innings. Orioles 4, Athletics 3 OAKLAND; Calif. Jim Dwyer and Larry Sheets hit home runs, and Ken Dixon pitched out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the ninth inning, helping Baltimore complete a four-game sweep.

The Orioles increased their home run total to 69, the best in the majors, and have hit 41- in their last 17 games. Baltimore finished its West Coast trip with an 8-2 record, its best Western swing since 1979. AMERICAN LEAGUE Yankees 6, Angels 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. Rickey Henderson opened a game with a home run for the 33rd time in his career, and Dan Pasqua also homered for New York. Winner Tommy John (4-1) blanked the Angels on five hits for six innings before leaving during a three-run rally in the seventh.

Henderson hit the third pitch for his fifth game-opening homer of the season. His 33 leadoff homers are two short of Bobby Bonds' major league record. "I think I can get two more before I'm finished," Henderson said. "A leadoff homer gets the team off to a good start" Braves rap 17 hits, end Cards' streak I beets' 'Ai It I NATIONAL LEAGUE I Republic Sports Wires ST. LOUIS First baseman Jack Clark of St Louis tied a major league record by committing three errors in the second inning, and the Atlanta Braves rapped 17 hits for a 14-5 victory on Monday, ending the Cardinals' five-game streak.

The Braves reached a season high for runs and hits. They had six doubles, including two by Glenn Hubbard, a triple by Ken Oberkfell and Ozzie Virgil's solo homer, his 15th this season. Hubbard had three hits while Gerald Perry and Albert Hall each drove in two runs. Perry, whose RBI single broke a 5-5 tie in the fifth, reached base on two hits and two walks. Perry has played first base most of the time this year in the absence of Bob Horner, who now is playing in Japan.

"I was happy when January 8 went by and he (Horner) didn't sign with the Braves," Perry said. Clark's errors tied a record for most errors in one inning by a first baseman that is held by five others. Terry Pendleton of the Cardinals singled to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. Expos 3, Dodgers 1 LOS ANGELES Lary Soren-sen and two relievers combined on a four-hitter, and Tim Raines and Mitch Webster each rapped three hits for Montreal. Sorensen (3-1), making his third start of the season, yielded two hits in 6 '3 innings.

"It was a very enjoyable evening," Sorensen said. "Realistically, I take it as a nice diversion from the bullpen. I wanted to take it as long as I could." He struck out three, walked none and retired 14 straight at one point. "I didn't even realize that because I'm so used to having people on base," he said. "I'm not used to getting a lot of guys out in a row." Mets 8, Giants 7 SAN FRANCISCO Mookie Wilson triggered a four-run first inning with a single and hit a two-run triple in the sixth inning for New York.

The Mets broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth against Mark Grant (1-1) en route to an 8-4 lead. The Giants rallied for three runs in the ninth off reliever Roger McDowell. "That's the way to start a road trip, I guess," said Mets manager Dave Johnson. "We turned a laugher into a squeaker, but I'll take it." The Giants finished with 15 hits, three each by Will Clark and Jeffrey Leonard. The Mets had 13 hits, three each by Wally Backman, Keith Hernandez and Rafael San-tana.

"It's a shame to score that many runs and waste them," said Giants manager Roger Craig. "I hope we can stay in first until our pitching straightens out." Reds 5, Cubs 4 CINCINNATI Bill GuIIickson yielded six hits in six innings for Cincinnati, which ended a four-game skid. The Reds won for only the second time in their last 10 games. They rapped nine hits, including a solo home run by Nick Esasky, and four doubles. Astros 7, Pirates 2 HOUSTON Glenn Davis homered and drove in three runs and Jim Deshaies pitched a four-hitter for Houston, which ended a five-game skid and snapped Pittsburgh's five-game streak.

Deshaies (3-2) struck out three and walked one in his first complete game of the year. He yielded three hits in the first inning, including consecutive run-scoring doubles by Johnny Ray and Jim Morrison. Phillies 6, Padres 4 SAN DIEGO Luis Aguayo hit a pair of solo home runs and Von Hayes added a three-run homer for Philadelphia. Aguayo's second homer, giving him a career-high eight this season, broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh. He was the first batter to face Dave Dravecky (1-5).

Dan Schatzeder (3-1) earned the victory. Steve Bcdrosian, the fifth Phillies pitcher, worked the final two innings for his eighth save. AP Pirates catcher Junior Ortiz raises his glove in triumph after tagging out Astros runner Terry Puhl in the fourth inning. Houston won by 7-2. Deja vu: Pinch hit keys late Firebirds rally Joe Bitkcr walked Alan Cockrell and yielded successive singles to Eddie Milner and Mike Woodard.

With a run in, Jim Siwy relieved Bitker. Cisco Melendez singled home another run. After Randy Kutcher struck out, Reid and Sasser each singled home a run to make the score 6-5. Tillman then hit what proved to be the winner. Comstock and Randy Bockus shut down the Stars in the final three innings.

Bockus recorded his seventh save to move past Jon Perlman for the team lead. The third game of the series is tonight at 7:05. Former Firebirds pitcher Colin Ward will start for Las Vegas against Joe Price. Las Vegas in 1985 before being traded by the parent San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics' organization. Tillman played for Tacoma and the A's last year.

He was signed by Phoenix as a free agent in April. Kim downplayed his conversation with Tillman, and said he was almost glad Tillman was angry about coming out. "I don't want guys not being upset," Kim said. "He was upset, I understood that. It was just the way he handled it.

It's over with." Doing all their damage against starter Terry Mulholland, the Stars took a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. With one out, starter Tillman, Mackey Sasser hit a two-run single in the ninth that gave the Firebirds a 6-5 victory on Sunday after trailing, 4-0. Tillman said he understood Kim's move, "but I've got to be mad as a player getting pinch hit for when I've been hitting the ball well. But, hey, it came to that situation where he had to do it. He did the right thing." Kim again did the right thing, sending Tillman to bat for winner Keith Comstock.

Tillman hit a shot into the left center field gap that scored Jessie Reid and Sasser with the tying and go-ahead runs. Tillman said the hit was especially sweet because he played for By BOB COHN The Arizona Republic The Firebirds are making all the right moves, both on the field and in the dugout. For the second straight game, Phoenix wiped out a big Las Vegas lead and used a clutch pinch hit to do it. The hero this time was Rusty Tillman, whose two-run double in the seventh inning capped a six-run rally as the Firebirds beat the Stars, 7-6, on Monday at Municipal Stadium. Ironically, it was Tillman who only 24 hourfc earlier had had heated words with Firebirds manager Wendell Kim after being lifted for a pinch hitter.

Batting for Canyon rallies from 18-3 deficit, then tumbles, 23-22 PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE hadn't given up those home runs," Goodheart said. "It was a choice of walks or home runs." The walks came in the bottom of the sixth. Steve Shipman, who relieved Johnson and recorded the last out of the fifth, walked five in the sixth. Goodheart tried Mark Bradford, who struck out the first man he faced, and could have escaped the inning when Kevin Schmitt grounded to second. However, Arturo Cher-ena booted it.

Bradford walked the next two and gave way to Steve Forbes. "I couldn't find anybody to throw strikes," Goodheart said. Forbes walked Tim Salmon, forcing in a run. Duce then hit a grand slam, barely inside the left field foul pole, to tie the score, 18-18. The homer was Canyon's first hit of the 10-run inning.

"There was a lot of tension," said Muleriders first baseman Tony Garcia. Garcia relieved some of it when he led off Southern Arkansas' five-run eighth inning with his second home run of the game and fourth of the tournament. The homer chased loser Gary Sharko (5-4), -who had been Canyon's only effective pitcher. The rest of the damage was done against John Marchese, who hadn't yielded a run in postseason play. "I knew we could score some Goodheart said.

"Shoot, we already had 18." Canyon got one run back in the bottom of the eighth, then made one last bid in the ninth. Salmon's two-run blooper off his fists keyed the effort However, French couldn't get the ball through the infield with D(jce and Salmon on base. "We came back because these guys have' a lot of heart," Stafford said. "We'll come out with a lot of heart again (today)." Right-hander Ron Johnson (6-2), a winner during the first round, will start for Canyon today. Southern (38-21) at noon today.

The loser is eliminated. A crowd of 1,800 was on hand at the start. Four hours and 15 minutes later, when Canyon's game ended, more than 4,000 were at Lewis-Clark State's Harris Field expecting to see the host team play. Many in the crowd began booing as they watched Canyon and Southern Arkansas set NAIA Scries records for most runs by two teams (45) and most walks issued by two teams (24). Southern Arkansas tied the single-game record with 23 runs, and the two teams used a combined 10 pitchers, tying another mark.

The Muleriders took an 18-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth, and Goodheart acknowledged he felt comfortable. Starter Kirk Johnson was sailing along with a three-hitter. Canyon erupted with home runs by Greg Duce, French and Les Reiners in the bottom of the fifth and scored five runs. "I would have stayed with Johnson if he By BOB YOUNG The Arizona Republic LEWISTON, Idaho Grand Canyon coach Gil Stafford called it the ugliest game ever played. Certainly, there was little about Southern Arkansas' 23-22 victory over the Antelopes on Monday night in the NAIA World Series that resembled the game Abner Doubleday invented.

"It was a mess," Stafford said after Joe French grounded out to second with two men on base, ending a three-run Canyon rally in the bottom of the ninth. Southern Arkansas coach Steve Goodheart had a different perspective. "I've never been involved in anything like it," he said. "I don't want to be involved in anything like that anymore. Well, I might if I win again." The debacle sent the defending national champion Antelopes (44-29) into the losers' bracket, where they'll meet Missouri.

What, Artichokes worry? Reliever escapes trouble in victory Tucson's Mathis blanks Portland Republic Sports Wires PORTLAND, Ore. Ron Mathis pitched a four-hitter for his first complete game this season, leading the Tucson Toros to a 3-0 victory over the Portland Beavers on Monday. Mathis (6-3) struck out six and walked two. The Toros stole 11 bases, two shy of a single-game league record set by Sacramento on July 5, 1914. Center fielder Gerald Young stole four bases, increasing his league-leading total to 21.

Portland's Billy Beane doubled in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Trappers 6-4, Tigers 2-2 EDMONTON, Alberta Allen Morlock had a three-hitter in the opener, and Terry Clark pitched five innings of no-hit ball in the nightcap for Edmonton. In the opener, the Trappers scored five runs on five hits in the first inning to chase starter Chris, Codiroli after only one-third of an inning. Jim Eppard led the Trappers with three hits. Clark lost his no-hitter when Wayne Krenchicki opened the sixth with a single.

Canadians 14, Dukes 2 VANCOUVER, British Columbia Three-run homers by Butch Davis and Joe Orsulak helped the Vancouver build an early eight-run lead and six relievers walked in six more runs. Albuquerque reliever Hector He-redia issued six walks in the fifth iinning, tying a 'league record for walks in an inning. Scottsdale struggled offensively. The Artichokes had 10 hits but only two were for extra bases. Pitcher Mike Waalkes of Grand Rapids (34-26) entered in the fourth and held SCC scoreless in the fifth and sixth.

"He threw a lot of off-speed pitches," Coveney said. "Everybody was trying to hit the ball out of the park." "We haven't seen a pitcher that slow all year," Long said. "It was slower than batting practice." SCC scored an unearned run in the second on Jim Campbell's triple and an error. Scottsdale took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Mario Moccia's home run, but Grand Rapids tied the score in its half of the inning. The Raiders took a 3-2 lead in the sixth when Postema hit his homer.

SCC came back with a run in the seventh on a three-base error. SCC scored te go-ahead run in the eighth when Bill Kehoe singled in Chris Dix. for his third save of the season. Scottsdale, which has won two straight in the double-elimination tournament after losing the opener, is a game away from the semifinals. The 20th-ranked Artichokes (38-21) will 'play County College of Morris (Randolph, N.J.) at 2 p.m.

today. Morris lost to Seminole (Okla.) Junior College on Sunday, 18-0. Being a game away from elimination is a familiar spot for the Artichokes. They also lost their first-round games in two conference playoff series. "The winning feeling is back with us," said center fielder Kevin Long.

"I don't know what it is about losing that first game and putting ourselves in a do-or-die situation. We play better that way." Scottsdale won Monday in an unfamiliar way with pitching. Stenz (6-3), a sophomore left-hander, gave up two earned runs solo homers by Bob Buford and Andy Postema struck out six and walked none. Stenz had yielded seven runs in Vh innings of relief in Scottsdale's loss to Florida Community College (Jacksonville) on Satur-. day.

"As long as I'm hitting my spots and keeping the ball down and countering with my change, I'm effective," Stenz said. "I'm better starting. (The game) is brand new and in my hands." Brennan started Saturday and gave up seven runs in three innings. He prefers the relief role. "I love relieving," he said.

"I don't mind starting, but I'd rather come in in the late innings." Although Stenz appeared strong in the seventh inning, SCC coach Jim Coveney had no qualms about bringing in Brennan. "David had good stuff in the pen and he's pretty reliable," Coveney said. "I just thought it would be a good titijie to show them something new." By KENT SOMERS The Arizona Republic GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. Imagine Alfred E. Neumann with his lower lip filled with chewing tobacco.

That's what David Brennan looked like Monday after pitching two scoreless innings to pick up a save in Scottsdale Community College's 5-3 victory over Grand Rapids (Mich.) in the Junior College World Series. Brennan relieved starter Dan Stenz in the eighth with SCC ahead by two runs. He "was quickly up to his jaw in trouble. The first batter singled off Brennan's glove. The second walked and the third, reached first on an infield single.

Bases loaded, no outs. What, David Brennan worry? "I knew I could get out of it," said Brennan, a left-hander. "I had two of those kids 0-2, and their hits were kind of (weak). And I va8 facing a couple of lefties." Brennan struck out the next three batters i om.