AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Royals Can’t Pitch Around Horn, Fall in 11

Sam Horn, a low-priced free agent who didn’t find out until Saturday that he was on the Baltimore Orioles’ roster, wasted little time in making his presence known.

Horn opened the season Monday at Kansas City by hitting two three-run home runs that helped the Orioles to a 7-6 victory over the Royals.

Horn, who didn’t hit any home runs in 33 games with the Boston Red Sox last year, homered against 1989 Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead in the second inning. In the eighth, he tagged a pitch by Steve Farr for another three-run shot that tied the game, 6-6, to send it into extra innings.

“The only ability of mine that was in doubt was the ability to get in the lineup,” Horn said of his days in Boston. “I never had a chance to get in there on a everyday basis. I don’t know why.”

Joe Orsulak scored the winning run in the 11th when right fielder Danny Tartabull misplayed Cal Ripken’s single.

Jay Aldrich, another late addition to the Orioles’ roster, got the victory. Gregg Olson pitched the 11th for the save.

Bo Jackson reached base in all five plate appearances, with two hits and three walks.

Texas 4, Toronto 2--Nolan Ryan held the Blue Jays hitless for five innings and left after throwing 90 pitches, but earned his 290th career victory as the Rangers won at Arlington, Tex.

Ranger officials said Ryan, 43, was taken out simply because he threw too many pitches.

A sellout crowd of 40,907 booed when Mike Jeffcoat relieved to start the sixth. Kelly Gruber doubled with two out for Toronto’s first hit and he hit a two-run double in the eighth off Jeff Russell. Texas pitchers combined on a three-hitter and Russell got the save.

Harold Baines hit a home run in the first inning off loser Todd Stottlemyre and drove in three runs. Rafael Palmeiro homered, tripled and scored three times.

Ryan, who has pitched a record five no-hitters, walked four and struck out four.

Oakland 8, Minnesota 3--World Series MVP Dave Stewart, going for his fourth consecutive 20-win season, pitched 5 2/3 innings and the Athletics routed the Twins before 48,219 fans at Oakland.

Stewart gave up two runs and seven hits, struck out one and didn’t walk a batter. Rick Honeycutt, Oakland’s third pitcher, went 2 1/3 innings for a save.

The A’s got to Allan Anderson for three runs in the third on Mark McGwire’s sacrifice fly and a two-run double by Stan Javier, to take a 4-0 lead.

Oakland’s Dave Henderson and Terry Steinbach hit consecutive home runs in the seventh off Juan Berenguer.

Greg Gagne had a solo homer and a run-scoring double for the Twins.

Boston 5, Detroit 2--Wade Boggs had three hits and Roger Clemens had a strong performance to subdue the Tigers at Boston.

Boggs got the first hit of the season and finished three for four with a walk. His leadoff single in the first inning helped set up Dwight Evans’ three-run double off Jack Morris, and Boggs singled home a run in the second.

Clemens held the Tigers hitless until Tony Phillips singled to start the sixth inning, and allowed three hits, struck out five and walked two. He retired the first two batters in the seventh and left the game after throwing 101 pitches.

Rob Murphy pitched two innings and Lee Smith relieved with two out and two on in the ninth. Phillips got an infield hit that loaded the bases, but Alan Trammell, who homered off Smith to win the 1988 opener at Fenway, struck out to end the game.

Chicago 2, Milwaukee 1--The White Sox opened their final season at 80-year-old Comiskey Park by beating the Brewers on Scott Fletcher’s sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

With the score tied, 1-1, Robin Ventura drew a leadoff walk from loser Tony Fossas in the seventh. Sammy Sosa bunted and Ventura beat first baseman Greg Brock’s throw to second.

Lance Johnson’s infield hit loaded the bases and Fletcher followed with his sacrifice fly.

Barry Jones pitched 1 2/3 innings. Bobby Thigpen, Chicago’s fifth pitcher, got two outs for a save.