European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 a a a the stars and stripes thursday june 14,1990nbafrom Page 21 for sundays game 6 in Michigan if its necessary. The Victory Detroit a second straight in Portland after temporarily losing the Home court advantage in game 2, put the pistons in a commanding position to win their second consecutive Aba title. That feat has been accomplished previously Only by the Minneapolis los Angeles lakers and the Boston celtics. No team has Ever failed to win the championship efter taking a 3-1 Lead in the finals. Two of the remaining three games in the Best-of-7 series Are scheduled for the Palace of Auburn Hills mich., where the pistons Are 10-1 in the playoffs this season and 18-2 in postseason play the last two years. Game 5 will be in Portland on thursday night. The pistons led 51-46 at halftime after outscoring Portland 29-14 in the second Quarter after trailing by 10 after one period. Detroit reserves outscored Portland a Bench players 15-0 in the half including 11 by Johnson in the second period. Portland out shot the pistons 53 percent to 43 percent in the half but the Trail blazers made Only six of 17 shots in the second period after going 12-for-17 in the first 12 minutes. The pistons played most of the game without starting Forward Dennis Rodman the leagues defensive player of the year. Rodman who originally Hurt his left ankle in the Eastern conference finals and reinsured it in game 2, entered the game with 52 seconds to play when the pistons lost two forwards to fouls. The Trail blazers 71 percent shooting in the first Quarter carried them to a 3222 Lead while the pistons were 9-for-25 in the period. Portland which out rebounded Detroit 18-10 at the offensive end while losing game 3 by 15 Points had no offensive rebounds in the opening Quarter. Kersey who had a career playoff High scored 10 Points in the period on 4-for-5 shooting. Thomas left the game with his third foul at the 10 45 Mark of the second period. But the Trail blazers with four reserves on the floor did no to score for More than 3 Xhu minutes missing four shots and committing four turnovers. The pistons scored nine consecutive Points in the same Span the last seven by Johnson closing the Gap to 32-21 with 7 49 left in the first half. Drexler finally ended the scoreless drought with 7 38 to go but Detroit went on to tie the game three times before taking the Lead 49-46, on a three Pointer by Bill Laimbeer. Eckersley a a blow Lead in 9th As rangers win by the associated press Oakland Calif. A what bothered Dennis Eckersley most was not How bad he was but How Long it took the Texas rangers to dismantle him. Eckersley blew his first save in 21 opportunities this season allowing the rangers to score four unearned runs in the ninth inning tuesday and defeat the Oakland athletics 6-5. A the whole inning was irritating a Eckersley said. A what is this timeout stuff. Definitely they were trying to get to me. But what a a Guy to do if you Call them on it it will take another 15  the rangers disrupted Eckersley by dragging out the deciding inning in several innovative ways. Julio Franco took a Long time at the plate manager boat Gay Valentine took a Long walk to second base and Ruben Sierra hit a two out two run double on a 3-2 pitch from Eckersley after stepping out of the Box several times. A i just wanted to step Back and see the pitches a said Sierra who battled Back from an 0-2 count to Register the game winning hit. Trailing 5-2, the rangers batted around against Eckersley 2-1. Kevin Reimer reached on an error by shortstop Walt Weiss to Start the Texas rally. After Jeff Huson forced Reimer at second Gary Pettis doubled to left Center scoring Huson and Pettis came Home on Rafael Palmeiro a single. Franco then Drew the first walk allowed by Eckersley in 52 innings dating to last August. Sierra worked the count full then lined Eckersley a next pitch off the Wall Down the right Field line to drive in the tying and winning runs. Brad Amsberg 1-0 pitched 1% innings in Relief of starter Bobby Witt and Kenny Rogers pitched the ninth for his third save. Rickey Henderson stole two bases in the first inning to become the second player in Modem baseball history to achieve 900 career steals trailing Lou Brocks 938. But Henderson was picked off second base for the second out of the ninth inning. Orioles 4, Brewers 3,10 innings Baltimore a Mickey Tettleton tied it with a two out Home run in the Al Roundup a of a Cal Ripken responds to crowd. During 1,308th straight game ninth inning and Randy Milligan Hom ered in the 10th As Baltimore beat Milwaukee in Cal Ripkens 1,308th straight game for the orioles. Ripken who went 0-for-4 and is batting .213, moved past Everett Scott into second place on the All time consecutive games list. Lou Gehrig leads with 2,130, meaning Ripken must play every Day until mid-1995 to break the record. Brewers Relief Ace Dan Plesac took Over to Start the ninth with a 3-2 Lead. He retired the first two batters before Tettleton after hitting a Long drive that hooked foul connected for his eighth Home run. Milligan led off the 10th by hitting a 1-0 pitch from Plesac 0-3 for his 10th Home run. Gregg Olson 3-0 got the final out in the 10th for the Victory. Yankees 5, red sox 4 new York a Steve Balboni broke an o-Fqr-10 slump with a run scrim Pinch single to snap an eighth innit tie As new York beat Boston and stump Merrill a Victory in his managed Al debut at Yankee stadium or Oberto Kelly led off the eighth with a single his third hit of the game and stoic second. Kelly moved to third on Don Mattingly a one out Fly Ball and scored when Balboni singled sharply to left off reliever Rob Murphy 0-4. Dave Righetti got the last three outs for his 12th save and 200th of his career he a Only the ninth Pitcher Ever to reach 200 saves. Lee Guetterman 3-2 was the Winner. Indians 7, tigers 3 Detroit a Chris James hit a three run Homer and Sandy Alomar got three hits leading Bud Black and Cleveland downed Detroit. Black 5-3 gave up eight hits walked three and struck out four in his second Complete game of the season. Brian Dubois 3-4 took the loss. On june 7 in Cleveland Dubois decision Ned Black 8-0. Blue jays 5, twins 4 Minneapolis a second baseman Fred Manriques three base error allowed the Toronto to score two unearned runs in the seventh inning and defeat Minnesota the twins fifth straight loss. Todd Stottlemyre 6-6 beat the twins for the second time in six Days. Duane Ward went the final three for his fifth save. Mariners 5, White sox 2 Seattle a Randy Johnson won his third straight Start and Jay Buhner hit his fifth Home run of the month leading Seattle past Chicago. Johnson 6-3 yielded two runs on three hits in 6% innings. He walked five and struck out four. Angels 3, royals 0 Anaheim Calif. A Chuck Finley out dulled Bret Saberhagen for the second time in six Days and California downed Kansas City. Finley 9-4 shut out the royals on seven hits for eight innings and Bryan Harvey got his seventh save sending Kansas City to its eighth straight defeat. Dave Winfield who had three hits doubled with two outs in the fourth and scored on Lance Parrish a  sweep twin Bill from reds by the associated press Cincinnati a Greg Olson hit a grand slam and Ron Gant had two doubles a triple and a Homer As the Atlanta braves swept Cincinnati 8-3 and 3-2 tuesday night handing the reds their season High fifth straight loss. Cincinnati has lost seven of its last eight games. The reds were trying to rebound from a 4-7 Road trip. They got a Nice Start by scoring three first inning runs off Tom Glavine 3-4 in the opener. But Danny Jackson 1-2who had won All four of his career starts against the braves blew the Lead by letting the first six batters reach base to open the second. Olson facing Jackson for the first time in his career hit a 1-2 pitch for his fifth Homer and a 4-3  had a pair of doubles in the opener and led the Way in the Nightcap with an rib triple in the first inning and a Solo Homer his 10th, in the third off Jose Rijo 4-2. Gant was 4-for-9 in the doubleheader. Tommy Greene 1-0 got his second major league Victory by allowing three hits a including Ken Griffey a Solo Homer a in five plus innings in the Nightcap. Jeff Blauser 4-for-5 in the opener went 6-for-9 Overall to Lead the braves offence. In other games tuesday no Roundup san Diego a san Francisco getting three hits giants 7, padres 2 of getting from will Clark and a Victory and rib single from Don Robinson increased its record in june to 10-1 with a Victory Over san Diego. Robinson 2-0 allowed five hits Over six innings As the giants who moved into sole Possession of third place in the National league West continued their comeback from a dreadful Start. Robinson left the game with a hip injury aggravated in the first inning. Mark Thurmond pitched the last three innings for his second save. The giants battered san Diego starter Dennis Rasmussen 6-3 for 12 hits Over seven innings. Mets 19, cubs 8 Chicago a Kevin Mcreynolds hit two homers and Dave Magadan doubled his season rib total by driving in six runs As new York took advantage of Windy Wrigley Field to rout Chicago. Magadan who entered the game with six Bis in 75 at bats went 4-for-4 As the teams combined for 37 hits. Mcreynolds who had four Bis hit his ninth and 10th homers As the mets took a 10-1 Lead with the wind blowing out at 25 Mph. Dwight Gooden 4-5 won his first game since May 21. Phillies 7, expos 2. Philadelphia a Ken Howell 8-3 won his sixth straight decision and Dave Hollins hit a three run Homer As Philadelphia beat Montreal snapping a Nve game losing Streak. Sil Campusano and Tom Herr added two run homers for the Phillies. Ach a hair on 4 Houston a Franklin Stubbss two run Homer highlighted a five run first inning against his former teammates As Houston beat los Angeles extending its longest winning Streak this season to five games. Kirk Gibson hit a Solo Home run off Bill Gullickson in the top of the first. Gullickson 4-4 allowed six hits in 716 innings. Pirates 6, cardinals 3.St. Louis a Neal Heaton became the National leagues second nine game Winner and Bobby Bonilla Naa two rib doubles As Pittsburgh beat slumping St. Louis. Heaton 9-1 gave up seven hits in seven innings i join Frank Viola of the new York mets As the league s Only nine game winners while raising his career Reco against the cardinals to 5-0.a Todd Zeile had a two run Homer for St. Lou which has lost five of six games