Baseball Roundup : Boggs Surpasses Gehrig’s Batting Milestone in Boston Win

Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees had 200 hits and 100 walks per season from 1930-32.

The milestone was surpassed Monday night when Boston’s Wade Boggs went four for five and accomplished the feat for a fourth consecutive season in the Red Sox’s 7-4 victory over the Yankees.

“Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Lou Gehrig is something, but breaking one of his records makes it extra special,” Boggs said.

“I got off to a slow start this year, then lacked consistency,” the five-time American League batting champion said. “This year, I’ve been hot one week, cold one week.”

With his sixth four-hit game, Boggs pushed his total to 201. He has walked 103 times. He also became the only player in this century to get 200 hits seven years in a row.

Boggs improved his average to .331, keeping alive a chance of overtaking Minnesota’s Kirby Puckett and Oakland’s Carney Lansford in the final week for a fifth consecutive batting title.

Boggs had to share the spotlight with Dwight Evans, whose three-run homer in the first inning gave him at least 20 home runs in the last nine seasons.

Although he gave up three runs and 10 hits in the first four innings, Roger Clemens (17-10) earned the victory with relief help from Rob Murphy in the seventh and Lee Smith in the eighth.

Chicago 10, Minnesota 2--Ivan Calderon drove in four runs, giving him a career-high 86, as the White Sox beat the Twins at Chicago.

Calderon drove in the game’s first run with a grounder in a three-run first inning, added a two-run single in the second and tripled home another in the fourth. His previous high was 83 RBIs.

Sammy Sosa and Russ Morman drove in two runs each, and Lance Johnson had three hits for the White Sox.

Philadelphia 2, New York 1--The Mets lost to the Phillies on Tom Herr’s eighth-inning home run and were eliminated from the NL East race.

Bob Ojeda (13-11) took a two-hitter into the eighth at New York. Bob Dernier singled but was picked off by Ojeda.

Former Met Len Dykstra singled with two outs and Herr followed with his second home run of the season. It was his first home run since June 10, when he hit one off Montreal’s Bryn Smith.

Pat Combs (3-0) gave up four hits in seven innings, struck out eight and walked one. He has not lost in five starts. Roger McDowell pitched two hitless innings for his 20th save.

Cincinnati 5, San Diego 3--Second baseman Roberto Alomar’s bases-loaded error with two outs in the eighth inning allowed the winning run to score as the Reds won at San Diego to help the San Francisco Giants clinch a tie in the National League West.

The Reds rallied off reliever Greg Harris, who started the eighth inning by retiring the first two batters on routine ground outs.

But Scotti Madison, who was three for three, doubled to right. Harris walked Jeff Reed and pinch-hitter Barry Larkin to load the bases. Luis Quinones, batting for reliever Rob Dibble, then hit a bouncer to Alomar’s left. The ball skipped off his glove for his 28th error.

Atlanta 5, Houston 3--Ron Gant scored the tying run in the fourth inning and drove home the go-ahead run in the fifth, leading the Braves past the Astros at Houston.

With the score tied, 3-3, Mark Lemke and David Justice singled to start the fifth inning off Dan Schatzeder. Gant then doubled to left field scoring Lemke with the go-ahead run.

After Ed Whited was intentionally walked to load the bases, Bob Forsch struck out Lonnie Smith and walked pinch-hitter Darrell Evans, forcing home Justice.