American League Roundup : McGwire’s 2 Homers Lead A’s to 9-4 Victory

Mark McGwire, playing his second game since coming off the disabled list, hit two home runs and narrowly missed a third Thursday as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 9-4, at Oakland.

“It was a long enough vacation,” said McGwire, who missed 14 games after complaining of shooting pains in his lower back.

Not long enough to help the Orioles, who were the victims of McGwire’s first multihomer game since Sept. 15, 1987.

McGwire hit a solo shot in the third inning after the A’s had fallen behind, 3-0, and belted a two-run home run to highlight a six-run, seventh-inning rally. In between, he lifted a fly ball that was caught on the warning track.

The A’s rallied against reliever Mark Williamson, who threw for the cycle, giving up Dave Henderson’s go-ahead triple, McGwire’s homer, a double and a single to the first five batters he faced.

“They’re a very explosive ballclub,” Oriole Manager Frank Robinson said of the A’s, who also got solo home runs from Henderson and Carney Lansford. “They get their little hitters on and the big guys hit them in.”

McGwire said he grew anxious after about a week on the disabled list because he felt he was ready to play. He no longer feels the pain in his back, he said, and plans to take better care of himself to avoid a recurrence. “Sometimes it takes things like that to show you what to do,” he said of the injury. “I was just doing sit-ups and some kind of stretching. But the therapists showed me some things that are part of my daily routine now.”

McGwire had taken batting practice for only four days. He went 0 for 4 in the A’s 2-1 loss to the Orioles Tuesday night, striking out to end the game. Wednesday, he was ready.

“He’s picking up where he left off,” said A’s Manager Tony LaRussa, who was ejected in the fourth inning by first base umpire Dale Ford after arguing a balk call against Curt Young.

McGwire, despite his absence, is among the league leaders with five home runs and 13 runs batted in.

Toronto 6, Seattle 1--Mariner rookie Ken Griffey Jr. had his streak of consecutive hits end at eight when he walked in the second inning in this game at Seattle.

The walk extended Griffey’s streak of reaching base to 11 consecutive trips to the plate, but that ended when Mike Flanagan struck him out in the fifth. His streak tied the club record.

Griffey went two for three in the game.

The major league record for consecutive hits is 12, set in 1938 by Pinky Higgins of the Boston Red Sox and matched by Walt Dropo of Detroit in 1952.

Flanagan (1-1) allowed seven hits in 8 1/3 innings.

Toronto’s Fred McGriff hit a three-run homer and a triple, driving in four runs.

New York 3, Kansas City 2--Tommy John got the 288th victory of his career with relief from Dave Righetti in the ninth inning and the Yankees edged the Royals at Kansas City.

John (2-3), who will be 46 on May 22, allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five as the Yankees snapped Kansas City’s five-game winning streak. John took a four-hitter and a 3-1 lead into the ninth, but Kevin Seitzer led off with a double and scored on Jim Eisenreich’s single. Danny Tartabull then followed with a single to chase John with none out.

Righetti relieved and Pat Tabler moved the runners up with a sacrifice. After pinch-hitter Bill Buckner was intentionally walked, Righetti retired George Brett and Frank White to end the game.

Don Mattingly’s run-scoring single in the fifth gave New York a 3-1 lead.

Chicago 3, Boston 1--Ozzie Guillen’s triple scored Steve Lyons with two out in the 16th inning and the White Sox outlasted the Red Sox at Boston.

With one out in the 16th, catcher Ron Karkovice, who had struck out three consecutive times, beat out a bunt. Lyons forced Karkovice at second, but Guillen followed with his fourth hit, a drive to right-center off Mike Smithson (0-2).

After an intentional walk, Dave Gallagher added an insurance run with a single.

Donn Pall (1-0) shut out the Red Sox over the last four innings.

Chicago’s Eric King, who lost his first three starts before beating Seattle, 1-0, in his last start, nursed a 1-0 lead until Danny Heep’s RBI single in the seventh ended King’s shutout streak at 15 2/3 innings.