American League Roundup : Rangers End A’s Winning Streak at Five, 6-2

Julio Franco went three for three, Jeff Kunkel homered and Jack Daugherty stole home, leading the Texas Rangers to a 6-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics Thursday night at Arlington, Tex.

Winner Mike Jeffcoat (7-5) gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings as Texas ended Oakland’s five-game winning streak and cut the A’s lead over the Angels in the American League West to two games.

Mark McGwire’s 24th homer, a two-run shot, had given the A’s a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning, but the Rangers scored three times in the fifth off Storm Davis (14-6), who lost to Texas for only the third time in 15 decisions.

Oakland’s Carney Lansford went hitless in four at-bats as his 19-game hitting streak ended.

Gary Mielke relieved Jeffcoat with two runners on and one out in the seventh and retired all eight batters he faced for his first major league save.

New York 5-2, Baltimore 1-9--The Yankees won the opener of the five-game series at New York behind the six-hit pitching of Chuck Cary and Dave Righetti, but Larry Sheets hit a two-run homer and Tim Hulett had a two-run single to help the Orioles gain a split of the twi-night doubleheader.

In the opener, New York ended Baltimore’s four-game winning streak as Cary (3-2) gave up five hits in eight innings.

With the score tied, 1-1, Don Mattingly, who doubled home the tying run in the sixth inning, grounded into a force at second in the eighth, scoring Roberto Kelly.

In the nightcap, Sheets hit his seventh homer, but first since June 25th, after Joe Orsulak’s leadoff double in the second inning off Eric Plunk (3-3), who yielded four runs and five hits in five innings in his first start of the season.

Winner Dave Schmidt (10-12), who came into the game with a 5.34 earned-run average, held the Yankees to one run and three hits in five innings.

Toronto 11, Detroit 3--Mookie Wilson had three singles, drove in two runs, stole two bases and scored twice at Toronto as the Blue Jays swept the three-game series from the Tigers.

Mike Flanagan yielded two runs and five hits in six innings, Jim Acker gave up two hits and two walks in two innings and David Wells surrendered a home run to Chet Lemon in the ninth. Loser Jack Morris (3-11) was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Minnesota 6, Chicago 4--John Moses reached second on a bloop double and scored on Al Newman’s groundout after lining out twice to break a seventh-inning tie at Minneapolis.

Rick Aguilera allowed seven hits and three runs in six innings, and Juan Berenguer allowed one run and three hits in two innings before Jeff Reardon pitched the ninth for his 24th save.

Ozzie Guillen had to leave the game after injuring a finger while receiving an “around-the-horn” throw after a strikeout, but was expected back in the lineup today.

Cleveland 5, Seattle 2--The Mariners lost their eighth consecutive game as Steve Davis (1-0) allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits in five innings at Cleveland after being recalled on Wednesday from triple-A Colorado Springs.

Brad Komminsk’s wind-blown double, which eluded the desperate grasp of second baseman Mario Diaz, and Jerry Browne’s two-run run triple that went just under the glove of diving right fielder Jay Buhner keyed a three-run fifth inning for Cleveland.