OAKLAND, Calif. -- Brian Kingman can relax now.
When you are pitching well and not winning, the way Kingman was, it's hard not to be snake-bitten.
Take Tuesday's 7-3 victory Kingman pitched for the Oakland A's over the Cleveland Indians.
Here he was ahead 3-0 in the third and he couldn't quite believe his good fortune.
'I looked up at the scoreboad and saw those three runs,' Kingman said, 'and I started thinking this would be no problem, but then I thought 'hey, three runs can go awfully quick.' I've been there befori somany times that it gets to the point where you are waiting for a little thing to go wrong.'
But nothing went wrong for Kingman this day as Dave Lopes treated him to a pair of homers and the A's piled up 10 hits off Len Barker, 9-5, and Bud Anderson.
The victory -- a seven-hitter -- was Kingman's first after five losses since being recalled from Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. In four of the five losses he pitched well enough to win.
'I knew it would have to happen one of these days,' he said of his first victory, 'but I was beginning to wonder, especially after all the stuff that's been going on around here.'
The stuff Kingman was referring to was his banishment to the minors after a tiff with Martin during spring training. Kingman was part of Oakland's successful five-man rotation last year but this srping Martin decided to go with four starters. That meant Kingman would have to go to the minors.
He didn't care for the idea and jumped the club, going on a three-week vacation to Mexico. At the time, Martin said Kingman would never again pitch for the A's. But Kingman came around and eventually reported to Tacoma.
While the A's starters were taking their lumps, Kingman pitched well at Tacoma. Martin, keeping his word, recalled three different pitchers but not Kingman. Finally, in desparation, he sent for Brian. Now, the A's manager is singing a different tune.
'This was a very important day for Brian Kingman,' Martin said. 'I never gave up on him. We've always liked his arm. I've always had the highest opinion of anybody about his arm. I think Brian really got his confidence now and that's the most important thing I saw today.'
Indians manager Dave Garcia has been a Kingman admirer for some time now.
'I always thought he had as good stuff as anybody on that club,' said the Indians skipper. 'In this game, he had excellent control, and when he pitches that way he is a tough man to beat.'
Barker didn't have his best, and suffered for it.
'I kept thinking he would find himself,' said Garcia, 'but he didn't. When he's at his best, he's very hard to hit.'
