American League Roundup : Struggling Orioles Score 4 in First, but Twins Fight Back for 5-4 Win

Manager Frank Robinson keeps denying it, but the signs are there. The Baltimore Orioles are feeling the pressure.

They scored four runs against Shane Rawley in the first inning Wednesday night at Minneapolis, then ended up losing their seventh consecutive game.

Doug Baker singled with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-4 victory. The Orioles’ lead in the American League East has been cut to 4 1/2 games over the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays.

Although Robinson kept saying the 14-game journey that began last Thursday in Oakland was another trip, his players apparently felt differently. When they began the trip, the Orioles needed one victory to equal their win total for last season; they are still a victory away.

“You’re always worried about the mental things in a losing streak,” Robinson said, “and that’s why they become longer losing streaks.

“We can’t panic and we can’t lose our heads. We have to come out and battle our way out. Little things are beating us. We could have won, but we didn’t. We can’t let it get us down.”

Oriole starter Bob Milacki simply couldn’t handle Kent Hrbek. The first baseman hit two home runs and put the Twins back in the game.

In the seventh Milacki, hit Randy Bush and Baker tripled to tie the score. Mike Smith came in to strike out Kirby Puckett and end the inning.

In the ninth, Tim Laudner and Al Newman hit one-out singles off Mark Williamson and Bush walked to set the stage for Baker.

Jeff Reardon, the third Twin pitcher, closed it out and picked up his first victory since June 26.

Cleveland 9, New York 7--The Indians moved into a tie for second at Cleveland when Pete O’Brien hit an opposite-field double to drive in two runs in the eighth inning.

“It was a pure shank,” O’Brien said. “With a man on third you want to concentrate on the big area of the field. You don’t want to pull one that can be turned into a double play.”

Doug Jones, who gave up a two-run home run to Luis Polonia in the top of the eighth that gave the Yankees a 7-6 lead, wound up the winner.

Walt Terrell, recently obtained from the San Diego Padres lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up six runs and 11 hits.

The loss was the Yankees’ eighth in their last nine games. They are 47-53 and are tied with Milwaukee for fifth place, seven games out of first.

Chicago 5, Seattle 3--Shortstop Ozzie Guillen continues to lead the White Sox to victory.

Guillen hit two run-scoring singles and stretched his hitting streak to 16 games as the White Sox won for the 11th time in 12 games.

In a game delayed twice for a total of more than two hours because of rain, the White Sox won their 10th in a row at home.

Guillen is batting .424 (25 for 59) during his streak.

Reliever Bobby Thigpen got the last five outs for his 21st save.

Harold Baines had three hits for the White Sox, including his 13th home run of the season.

Kansas City 7, Boston 4--Right-hander Bret Saberhagen has become the Royals’ stopper on the road, winning for the seventh time in his last eight decisions.

Although he was in constant trouble, giving up nine hits and walking five in 6 2/3 innings, Saberhagen (10-5) had the support of a 12-hit attack.

Willie Wilson led the way with four hits, scored a run and drove in two.

Texas 11, Toronto 1--Julio Franco had two hits and drove in three runs at Arlington, Tex., to lead the Rangers and take over the league RBIlead. Franco has 74 RBIs, two more than teammate Ruben Sierra.

The 16-hit attack enabled rookie Kevin Brown to improve to 9-6. Brown gave up seven hits in eight innings.

Milwaukee 3, Detroit 2--Robin Yount hit a two-run home run in the first inning at Milwaukee to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Then, in the eighth he walked with the bases loaded to give the Brewers the victory.

Teddy Higuera (5-4), slowly rounding into form, held the Tigers to three hits in eight innings.