clarinews@clarinet.com (BOB KEIM, UPI Sports Writer) (09/21/89)
CLEVELAND (UPI) -- Oakland manager Tony La Russa says his club's resiliency has kept the A's in the pennant race all season. The fact that they have showed up in Cleveland twice after being swept on the road hasn't hurt either. The A's maintained their 2 1/2 game lead over California in the American League West with an 8-6 win over the Indians Wednesday night, giving them a sweep of the three-game series and a 6-0 record in Cleveland this year. Oakland won the season series 10-2. Storm Davis, 18-7, pitched five innings for the win. The A's came to Cleveland after getting swept in a three-game series by Boston, but rebounded to win three straight from the Tribe. In June, the A's came to Cleveland after getting swept in Minnesota and swept the three-game series. ``Something happens that can shake you, whether it's your confidence or your commitment, and it doesn't affect this club,'' La Russa said. ``Time and time and time again we have come back. It wasn't easy to lose those three to Boston, but we carried on. We have all year.'' Tony Phillips hit a three-run triple to cap a five-run Oakland sixth, and Rickey Henderson led off the game with a home run, stole four bases and scored three runs to lead the A's. Henderson's 12th homer of the year in the first marked the 40th time he has led off a game with a home run, a continuing record. Rickey Henderson, caught stealing in the ninth for the 14th time this year, leads the majors with 73 steals. He also walked twice to raise his league-leading total to 117, tying his career high. The five-run sixth gave Oakland a 7-3 lead, and Jose Canseco hit his second run-scoring sacrifice fly of the evening in the seventh to score Rickey Henderson and put the A's up 8-3. A Canseco sacrifice fly and a Dave Henderson single drove in the other Oakland runs in the sixth. Cleveland scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run Joe Carter single and an RBI hit by Joey Belle. La Russa used five relief pitchers, including Dennis Eckersley, who pitched a scoreless ninth for his 30th save. ``It was very important for us to come here and get on track,'' Rickey Henderson said. ``Tony always talks to us about pressure. We're a better ball club under pressure. We always seem to bear down and win. That's what makes a solid club.'' Cleveland scored a run in the third on a Jerry Browne RBI single, Carter scored on a Pete O'Brien double in the fourth and hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the fifth. Dave Parker drove in the A's second run with a single in the second. ``We had our chances,'' said Cleveland manager John Hart. ``We came back, we were able to do a few things offensively, we got some hits. They're a team in the pennant race. They did what they needed to do.'' The A's won despite making three errors that led to four unearned runs. ``Dogged determination,'' La Russa said of his team's effort. ``If every game you win is nice and clean like last night (a 5-1 win), you won't win many in this league. We just kept dogging them.'' Rickey Henderson was stealing on Cleveland rookie catcher Tom Magrann, who came into the game when Joel Skinner strained his left shoulder in the second inning. Andy Allanson threw Rickey Henderson out in the ninth. ``It really didn't matter who was catching, I was watching the pitcher,'' Rickey Henderson said. ``I guess he (Magrann) got a test on how Rickey runs the bases. Maybe next time he'll be ready for me.''