American League Roundup : Blue Jays Find the Range, Blast Brewers for 15 Hits and 9-2 Victory

Toronto matched a season high with 15 hits--including three home runs--to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 9-2, Monday night at Milwaukee, and Garth Iorg said this year’s Blue Jays were finally starting to hit like last season’s American League East champions.

“When we’re playing right, we don’t have an easy out in the lineup,” said Iorg, who had three runs batted in on a single and a sacrifice fly. “That’s what makes us dangerous--there’s so many ways we can win a game.

“We happened to get the runs when we needed them,” Iorg added. “Everything bounced our way.”

Mostly, the Blue Jays bounced the ball where the Brewers weren’t.

“Our pitching was shaky,” said Milwaukee Manager George Bamberger, who went through three pitchers. “It was one of our worst games of the year.”

“They hit my mistakes tonight,” said Milwaukee starter Bill Wegman (2-6) who gave up home runs to Ernie Whitt and George Bell in 5 innings. “They’re a good hitting team.”

Tony Fernandez later hit a two-run homer off reliever Ray Searage. It was Toronto’s 12th home run in its last five games.

The victory was Toronto’s third straight and put the Blue Jays at .500 (32-32) for the first time since April 13.

“We’re right back to where we were opening day, aren’t we?” Manager Jimy Williams said. “It has been a long haul.

“The way we’re playing now, I think we’re right in there,” he added.

Bamberger had to agree.

“They have a lot of talent,” he said. “They’ll be right in the thick of it.”

Robin Yount went 4 for 5 and raised his average to .371.

Detroit 5, Baltimore 4--Alan Trammell’s two-out double snapped a sixth-inning tie and Tom Brookens hit a three-run homer in the eighth at Baltimore as the Tigers edged the Orioles.

The Orioles have lost six of their last eight.

Frank Tanana (7-4) won his third straight game, allowing four hits in seven innings. John Pacella, who was purchased from Triple-A Nashville of the American Assn. Monday, came on to rescue the Tigers from an eighth-inning jam to earn his first save.

The sinking liner by Trammell, on which center fielder John Shelby just missed making a shoestring catch, scored Lance Parrish from second base to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Parrish had singled with one out for the third hit off Ken Dixon (6-4) and moved to second on a walk to Darrell Evans. Dixon fanned Dave Bergman before Trammell’s hit.

The Tigers scored three runs in the eighth when Trammell and Pat Sheridan walked and Brookens hit his first homer of the season to left.

Kansas City 3, Oakland 2--Rudy Law lined a double off the right field wall with one out in the 11th inning to score Willie Wilson with the go-ahead run and lead the Royals to victory over the A’s at Oakland.

Wilson led off by drawing a walk from Jose Rijo (2-5) and stole second. Angel Salazar struck out attempting to sacrifice before Law doubled over the head of right fielder Mike Davis to make it 2-1. George Brett was intentionally walked and Jorge Orta singled to right, scoring Law with what proved to be the winning run.