American League Roundup : Twins Top Royals in 10th, 4-3

Kirby Puckett hit a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning, scoring Jim Dwyer and giving the Minnesota Twins a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night at Minneapolis.

Dwyer, pinch-hitting for Tim Laudner, started the rally with a one-out single off reliever Steve Farr. Al Newman also hit a single, advancing Dwyer to third. Dan Gladden was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Puckett hit a ground ball between shortstop and third base to give Juan Berenguer the victory and end the Royals’ five-game winning streak. The loss also knocked Kansas City out of a first-place tie with the Angels and Oakland Athletics in the American League West.

“The bat felt like 50 ounces the last couple of nights,” Puckett said. “It felt like a steel pole. I was just trying to get the head on the ball and not make an out. Then we’d have to start all over again.”

Oakland 8, New York 3--Tony Phillips replaced injured shortstop Walt Weiss and hit a two-run homer to break a third-inning tie and keep the Athletics on pace with the Angels at Oakland.

Phillips entered the game in the first inning when Weiss left with a sprained right knee after turning a double play. Phillips hit his second homer of the year after Billy Beane singled with two outs off Rich Dotson.

Trailing in the second, 3-0, the A’s rallied to tie the score. Beane drove in one run with a single, and Luis Polonia drove in two more with a two-out triple.

Storm Davis (3-3) gave up seven hits in five-plus innings and was credited with the win. Davis received hitless relief help from Gene Nelson, Rick Honeycutt and Dennis Eckersley, who earned his league-leading 12th save.

Chicago 10, Detroit 7--Carlos Martinez doubled in two runs, then Fred Manrique doubled in three more as the White Sox scored five times in the ninth inning to win at Detroit.

Guillermo Hernandez (1-1), who had been perfect in his seven previous save opportunities, gave up all the runs.

The Tigers led, 7-5, and the White Sox had one out when Harold Baines hit a single and went to third on Ron Kittle’s double. Ivan Calderon was intentionally walked to load the bases. Martinez, batting for Dan Pasqua, doubled off the left-field wall to score Baines and Daryl Boston, who was running for Kittle.

Steve Lyons was walked intentionally, loading the bases for Manrique, who doubled off the center-field wall to make it 10-7.

Mike Heath hit his first two home runs, and Keith Moreland went four for four for Detroit.

Jack Morris, who lost his first six decisions this season, gave up eight hits, walked four and struck out eight in 7 1/3 innings.

Baltimore 8, Texas 2--The Rangers’ woes continued as former Ranger Dave Schmidt allowed five hits in seven innings and Cal Ripken keyed a 14-hit attack by singling home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning at Arlington, Tex.

Schmidt (2-4) retired nine consecutive Rangers from the fifth through the seventh innings before being replaced by Mark Williamson. Texas has four consecutive losses and nine in its last 11 games.

Cleveland 6, Toronto 3--Joe Carter hit a three-run homer in the Indians’ six-run third inning at Toronto as Cito Gaston got his first loss since taking over as the Blue Jays’ interim manager Monday.

Bud Black (2-5) struck out four, walked three and gave up five hits. He was replaced by Tim Stoddard in the seventh after Junior Felix’s leadoff home run made it 6-2 and Tony Fernandez singled.

The Indians got to Dave Stieb for five hits and a 6-0 lead in the third, capped by Carter’s homer. The six-run inning was the second in as many nights for the Indians.

Milwaukee 9, Seattle 6--Jim Gantner sparked a four-run third inning with a two-run double, and Terry Francona and Charlie O’Brien each hit home runs as the Brewers won at Seattle.

Paul Molitor opened the game with a home run, but the Mariners scored three runs in the first to take the lead.

Francona tied the score with a two-run homer in the second, and then Milwaukee took control in the third.