Thigpen Cleans Up -- White Sox Reliever Sets Save Record
-- CHICAGO - Bobby Thigpen set the major-league record of 47 saves in a season and then was at a loss for words.
``I was so emotional I couldn't talk,'' Thigpen said last night after preserving the Chicago White Sox's 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals with one scoreless inning.
``I never figured on anything like this,'' said Thigpen, who broke the record of 46 set in 1986 by Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees.
Visions of the record-breaking save flashed into Thigpen's mind when Carlton Fisk snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with his 15th home run.
``The minute Pudge hit the homer I zoned out,'' Thigpen said.
He watched setup man Barry Jones finish the seventh inning in relief of winner Wayne Edwards (4-3) and then get through the eighth. The White Sox picked up an insurance run off Jeff Montgomery in the bottom of the eighth on a run-scoring single by Robin Ventura.
Thigpen, who has seven blown saves, took over in the ninth. He got Kevin Seitzer to ground out. Brian McRae singled but George Brett hit into a game-ending double play and Thigpen was mobbed by his teammates.
Fisk, whose double helped set up two runs in the fourth inning, said he got ``a little more satisfaction'' in hitting the home run that helped set up the victory.
``Bobby's a regular guy, not goofy with crazy peculiarities like some relievers have,'' Fisk said. ``You like to see nice things happen to a nice guy.''
Fisk extended his major-league record for home runs by a catcher to 330.
The upper deck homer was Fisk's 15th of the season and 351st of his career, moving him into a tie for 41st place on the all-time list with Dick Allen.
Fisk's homer ended a six-game winning streak for Kevin Appier (11-5), who last lost to Toronto July 28.
Fisk also doubled to key a two-run fourth after Dan Pasqua singled. Pasqua scored on a sacrifice fly by Frank Thomas and Fisk, after taking third on a passed ball charged to Mike Macfarlane, scored on a sacrifice fly by Ventura.
ATHLETICS 9
RED SOX 5
-- BOSTON - Terry Steinbach capped a five-run first inning with a three-run homer as Oakland ended Boston's 10-game winning streak, longest in the American League this year. In a possible playoff preview between the AL's division leaders, the A's quickly knocked out rookie Dana Kiecker (6-7).
Oakland's Scott Sanderson (14-9) struggled for five innings, allowing three runs. Oakland's Rickey Henderson hit a solo homer off Wes Gardner in the seventh while Mark McGwire and Willie McGee had two-run singles for the A's.
The Red Sox had two-run homers by Mike Marshall, his third, and Tom Brunansky, his 10th.
RANGERS 6
INDIANS 2
-- ARLINGTON, Texas - Nolan Ryan got his 302nd career victory by holding Cleveland to one run and two hits in eight innings. Ryan (13-7) struck out eight and walked two. John Barfield yielded a pinch homer to Mitch Webster in the ninth. Mike Walker (1-5) was the loser as the Indians suffered their eighth straight loss.
ANGELS 7
YANKEES 0
-- NEW YORK - Kirk McCaskill, coming off a shutout, pitched six scoreless innings and California broke a tie with a six-run sixth inning, as the Angels defeated New York in Dave Winfield's return to Yankee Stadium.
It was Winfield's first appearance at Yankee Stadium since being traded from the club in a controversial deal in mid May. Winfield went 0 for 4 but scored the Angels' first run after drawing a leadoff walk.
Winfield was cheered when he brought out the lineup card and given an ovation each time he came to bat.
TIGERS 5
BLUE JAYS 0
-- DETROIT - Cecil Fielder hit his 43rd home run and Walt Terrell pitched seven innings of four-hit ball as the Detroit Tigers snapped the Blue Jays' four-game winning streak.
Terrell (4-2), who has won four of his last five starts, didn't allow a hit until the fourth. He struck out five and walked none to improve his Tiger Stadium record to 38-13.
``I always seem to pitch well in this ballpark and I don't know why,'' Terrell said. ``If I knew, I'd sure as hell take it on the road with me. It would be great if you could put it down in Anaheim and places like that.''
Fielder, leading off the sixth, hit the first pitch about 10 rows up the second deck in left field to make it 3-0. It was his fourth homer off Jimmy Key (9-7) this season and 112th RBI of the year.
TWINS 6-9
BREWERS 0-5
-- MILWAUKEE - Mark Guthrie pitched a four-hitter for his first major-league shutout as Minnesota beat Milwaukee in the opener, and the Twins completed the sweep with five runs in the ninth inning of the nightcap highlighted by Shane Mack's three-run double.
Guthrie (6-7) was a seventh-round selection by the Twins in the June 1987 free agent draft and was 2-4 last season in 13 games. The left-hander held the Brewers hitless until Dave Parker lined a two-out single in the fourth inning.
He pitched the first complete game of his career in his last start, beating Chicago. In the nightcap, Mack had three hits and five RBI.
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THE 40-AND-OVER CLUB
Relief pitchers who have saved 40 or more games in a season with saves, team and year:
;
47 Bobby Thigpen Chicago White Sox 1990 ;
46 Dave Righetti New York Yankees 1986 ;
45 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City 1983 ;
45 Bruce Sutter St. Louis 1984 ;
45 Dennis Eckersley Oakland 1988 ;
44 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City 1984 ;
44 Mark Davis San Diego 1989 ;
42 Jeff Reardon Minnesota 1988 ;
41 Dennis Eckersley Oakland 1990 ;
41 Jeff Reardon Montreal 1985 ;
40 Steve Bedrosian Philadelphia 1987