clarinews@clarinet.com (09/20/89)
TORONTO (UPI) -- Extra-inning success is fueling the Toronto Blue Jays' drive to the American League East title. The Blue Jays won their fifth extra-inning game in their last 10 outings Tuesday night when Nelson Liriano drilled a two-run, bases-loaded double with two out in the bottom of the 13th, rallying Toronto to a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox. For the Blue Jays, who trailed by a run after the top of the 10th and again after the top of the 13th, the win preserved a two-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles. ``This is the time of year when you have to win those kind of ballgames if you expect to win the division,'' said Toronto Manager Cito Gaston. Liriano's game-winning hit came on a 0-2 pitch from Greg Harris, 2-2, who took over from Dennis Boyd to start the 10th. It was a high curve on the outside part of the plate that the left-handed hitting Liriano turned on and pulled over the head of right-fielder Danny Heep. ``I said to myself that I just had to try and touch the ball,'' said Liriano, who had a single to show for his first five at-bats in the game. ``I knew I only had one chance left, I had to stay alert and be ready to go on anything.'' Liriano's ability to pull the ball shocked teammate George Bell. ``If that had been me at the plate I might have been able to get a hit,'' said Bell, whose two-out single in the 10th sparked a one-run rally that evened the game at 4-4. ``But there's no way I could have pulled the ball the way he did. He just smoked the ball.'' It was a dramatic ending to a game which the Blue Jays nearly handed to the Red Sox in the 10th inning when reliever Duane Ward uncorked a bases-loaded wild pitch to force in a go-ahead run. Toronto also failed to advance runners in a number of clutch situations. Boston Manager Joe Morgan was incensed after the defeat. ``How could they possibly win that game as inept as they were?,'' asked Morgan, who kicked over a garbage can when Liriano's drive hit the fence. ``These guys are supposed to win (the division)? Can you see any way they should have won that ball game? There's no way they should have.'' Morgan suggested that the win should be credited to the umpiring crew, which gave close calls to the Blue Jays in a two-run fourth and two-run 13th. ``We were screwed left and right tonight,'' he said. ``They blew two calls, they were afraid to call anybody out.'' Tom Henke, who allowed a run in the top of the 13th, improved to 7-3. He went two innings, giving up one run on two hits with four strike outs. In the top of the 13th, Jeff Stone reached on an infield single off Henke and advanced to third on a bloop single by John Marzano. Boggs followed with a one-out flyout to deep left field and Stone scored without a play. Toronto tied the score 3-3 with a pair of runs in the fourth. Ernie Whitt opened the inning with a single off Boyd and Tony Fernandez walked. Kelly Gruber flew out to rightfield with both runners advancing. Lee Mazzilli's groundout scored Whitt, and Nelson Liriano followed with an RBI single.