Baseball Roundup : Phil Niekro Fails Again in Bid, but Yankees Win, 5-4

Phil Niekro failed in a fourth bid for his 300th victory, but Don Mattingly hit a two-run homer to tie the score and Don Baylor singled home Dave Winfield to cap a three-run ninth inning Monday night at New York that gave the Yankees a 5-4 victory over Baltimore.

The Yankees drew within five games of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East and concluded their season series against the Orioles with 12 victories in 13 games.

After Mattingly’s home run tied the score, Winfield doubled off Don Aase (9-6) and Baylor greeted Sammy Stewart with his game-winning hit.

The Orioles took a 3-2 lead on an RBI single by Fred Lynn in the seventh, and Wayne Gross hit a solo homer off Niekro in the eighth.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double by Eddie Murray. New York tied it when Baylor led off the fourth with his 23rd home run.

The Orioles made it 2-1 in the fifth when Murray’s infield out drove in a run, but the Yankees tied it in the bottom of the inning when Mattingly singled, Winfield doubled and Baylor hit a sacrifice fly.

San Francisco 4, Cincinnati 3--Dan Gladden’s two-out, run-scoring single in the ninth inning gave the Giants a come-from-behind victory at San Francisco that all but eliminated the Reds from the N.L. West race.

Scott Garrelts (9-4), who pitched the ninth inning, and two other Giant pitchers held the Reds to three hits. Two of them were home runs by Nick Esasky and Eric Davis off Vida Blue, which staked the Reds to a 2-0 lead.

Mario Soto held the Giants to one hit and struck out 14 batters until former Red Dan Driessen singled and Matt Nokes tied the score with a two-run homer in the seventh.

The Reds untied it in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Buddy Bell, but the Giants pulled even on Bob Brenly’s run-scoring single with two out in the bottom half.

Minnesota 7, Chicago 1--Bert Blyleven pitched a five-hitter for his 16th victory and 23rd complete game--high in the majors--as the Twins beat the White Sox at Minneapolis.