Leibrandt, Royals shut out Boston

The Kansas City Royals gave a lesson in baseball Friday nightwith Charlie Leibrandt the head schoolmaster.

Leibrandt threw a five-hitter to lead the host Royals to a 6-0victory over the Boston Red Sox. George Brett and Darryl Motley eachhit two-run home runs and Brett and Willie Wilson turned in sterlingdefensive plays to back Leibrandt (3-0).

"Leibrandt was on. It was a textbook kind of game," said Bostonmanager John McNamara. "They manufactured a run, played solid defenseand then put us away with the long ball."

Leibrandt faced just 15 batters through the first five inningsbefore Rich Gedman slapped a double down the left-field line to breakthe no-hitter. Only one other Red Sox runner got as far as secondbase.

"I was a good pitcher for five innings and a goodbatting-practice pitcher for four innings," Leibrandt said. "I justam glad this wasn't in Fenway."

Had the game been on the road, the outcome would have beendifferent. Don Baylor hit two balls that likely would have left theBoston field but were outs in spacious Royals Stadium. Wilson made aleaping catch against the wall of the second.

Motley's homer was his third. The shot went well over the385-foot sign in left field.

YANKEES 10, INDIANS 3: Bobby Meacham drove home three runs andMike Easler capped a six-run eighth inning with a three-run double tolead host New York to its sixth straight victory, a rout ofCleveland.

The game, which featured knuckleball pitchers Joe Niekro of theYankees and Tom Candiotti of the Indians, included three errors,three wild pitches, four passed balls and five unearned runs.

Niekro (2-0) allowed four hits in six innings to earn thevictory despite yielding six walks. Dave Righetti pitched 1 2/3innings for his fifth save. Candiotti (1-2) gave up two hits, butwalked eight in 5 1/3 innings.

Yankees' second baseman Willie Randolph, who was 0-for-1 withthree walks, had his season-long, 15-game hitting streak snapped.

JAYS 2, ORIOLES 1: Jesse Barfield's pop-fly double off Baltimoresecond baseman Alan Wiggins' glove drove in Tony Fernandez in the10th inning, giving visiting Toronto the victory.

Fernandez opened the inning with a single off reliever Don Aase(1-2) and advanced to second on a groundout. After Willie Upshawwalked, Rich Bordi relieved Aase.

George Bell struck out before Barfield blooped with hisgame-winning double.

Mark Eichorn (2-0), who relieved starter Doyle Alexander at thebeginning of the eighth inning, got the victory. He allowed one hitand the only Baltimore run on Cal Ripken's sacrifice fly.

Barfield tied the game 1-1 with two outs in the ninth with ahomer off Storm Davis.

TWINS 7, ANGELS 4: Roy Smalley belted a two-run homer and BertBlyleven scattered eight hits - one of them Reggie Jackson's 535thcareer homer - to lead host Minnesota over California.

Blyleven (2-0) struck out four and walked none in winning hisfifth straight decision dating back to Sept. 25. Jim Slaton (2-1)took the loss.

Jackson's homer pulled him within one of Mickey Mantle for sixthplace on the all-time list.

BREWERS 11, RANGERS 1: Teddy Higuera shackled Texas on five hitsand Paul Molitor drove in four runs with three doubles and a single,powering visiting Milwaukee over the Rangers.

The Brewers, who had lost eight of their last 10 games, snappeda three-game losing streak as Higuera improved his record to 2-1.Higuera struck out nine.

Higuera lost his shutout bid with one out in the eighth inningon Don Slaught's fourth home run of the season.

Milwaukee strafed five Rangers' pitchers for 18 hits.

A'S 11, MARINERS 2: Moose Haas became the first four-game winnerin the major leagues, giving up one run in five innings as hostOakland routed Seattle.

Haas (4-0) left the game after five innings because of stiffnessin his right elbow. The 30-year-old right hander, off to the beststart of his career, struck out six.