American League Roundup : Royals’ Stillwell, Jackson Feel Right at Dome, Wallop Twins

Kurt Stillwell would like to play in Minneapolis’ Metrodome more often.

Stillwell hit a pair of two-run homers and Mark Gubicza gave up five hits in eight innings, leading the Kansas City Royals past the Minnesota Twins, 8-1, Tuesday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

“I don’t know what it is--I guess I see the ball well here,” Stillwell said. “It must be the background here, because it’s not the pitching. The Twins have as good pitching as any other team.”

Meanwhile, the Royals’ Bo Jackson homered, doubled and scored three runs.

“Nothing the man does surprises me,” Kansas City Manager John Wathan said of Jackson. “He’s an amazing athlete.”

Gubicza (3-3) struck out three and walked one but lost his shutout bid when Dan Gladden hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Jerry Don Gleaton got the last three outs.

Francisco Oliveras (0-2) made his first major league start and gave up five runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Twins.

Stillwell capped a three-run eighth with a two-run homer off reliever Steve Shields. Jackson reached third on a three-base error by Gladden in left field and scored on Frank White’s single to give the Royals an 8-0 lead.

Jackson’s league-leading 10th home run, a solo shot in the sixth, gave Kansas City a 5-0 lead.

Jackson’s 404-foot shot reached the upper deck barely inside the right-field foul pole and made him the first right-handed hitter to hit the upper deck in right field at the Metrodome.

“I realize now how much power he has,” Oliveras said. “I give him credit the way he hit that ball. It was down and out. We don’t want to give him anything inside that he can pull.”

Toronto 7, Cleveland 6--Lloyd Moseby’s eighth-inning home run broke a tie and the Blue Jays rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Indians for their second consecutive victory under interim manager Cito Gaston.

Moseby, who homered Monday night for his first hit in 28 at-bats, hit his fourth home run on a pitch from reliever Keith Atherton (0-2) with one out.

Detroit 9, Chicago 7--Keith Moreland’s three-run double keyed a six-run fourth inning against the White Sox at Detroit.

Harold Baines drove in five runs for the White Sox, including a three-run homer in the eighth.

Seattle 6, Milwaukee 5--Ken Griffey Jr. broke an eighth-inning tie with a pinch two-run homer as the Mariners rallied from a four-run deficit at Seattle.

Darnell Coles hit a one-out single in the eighth before Griffey made his first major league pinch-hitting appearance, replacing Mickey Brantley. Griffey then hit his fourth home run of the season, off Bill Wegman (2-5).

New York 3, Oakland 2--Clay Parker pitched seven-plus innings for his first major league victory and Steve Balboni broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-out, two-run homer as the Yankees beat the Athletics at Oakland, ending a three-game losing streak.

Curt Young (1-4) gave up a two-out single to Jesse Barfield before Balboni hit his fourth home run of the season.