American League Roundup : A’s Make Up Ground, Move Past Angels, 6-1

Mark McGwire hit a two-run homer as the Oakland Athletics beat the Tigers, 6-1, to reclaim first place in the AL West Monday in a make-up game at Detroit.

The A’s took a one-game lead over the Angels, who lost at Kansas City. The Royals are 4 1/2 games back.

Only 6,197 fans attended the game, lowest turnout at Tiger Stadium since 5,868 were at a game against Texas on May 19, 1983.

Curt Young (4-8) allowed four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked five to snap Detroit’s three-game winning streak.

Frank Tanana (9-11) gave up six hits and four runs in four innings. In 26 starts, he has allowed 27 first-inning runs, 24 earned.

Carney Lansford singled in the Oakland first, extending his hitting streak to 27 games.

McGwire’s homer was his 23rd.

Baltimore 5, Milwaukee 0--The Orioles held onto first place in a head-to-head confrontation for the second straight day, beating the Brewers at Baltimore as Stan Jefferson and Cal Ripken homered to support Jeff Ballard’s seven-hit pitching.

The victory stretched Baltimore’s lead in the AL East to 1 1/2 games over Milwaukee and to two over the idle Toronto Blue Jays. The Brewers had won nine of 10 games.

The Brewers had at least one runner on base in eight innings against Ballard (13-6) but only two advanced beyond first base. Ballard did not issue a walk or strike out a batter while pitching his first shutout of the season and second of his career, both against Milwaukee.

Milwaukee’s Jerry Reuss (8-7) faced only five batters before leaving with a sore left hamstring in the first inning. Reuss strained the muscle Aug. 9 in Detroit and hadn’t pitched since.

New York 6, Boston 4--Jesse Barfield hit a tie-breaking two-run double off Roger Clemens in the sixth inning and the Yankees won for the first time in four games under Manager Bucky Dent, beating the Red Sox at New York.

Dent won in his home debut. Clemens suffered his first defeat in six career decisions at Yankee Stadium while the Red Sox lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Walt Terrell (2-3) gave up all the Boston runs and five hits before leaving in the seventh.

The Yankees used three relievers, including newly acquired Goose Gossage. In his second tour as a Yankee, Gossage got the last out for his first save in a New York uniform since Sept. 23, 1983.