AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : A’s Go to Bench, Beat Blue Jays

Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson are having great seasons, but the Oakland Athletics continue to lead the American League West because of consistent clutch performances from their bench.

With regular catcher Terry Steinbach slumping at .198, A’s Manager Tony LaRussa decided it was time to give Jamie Quirk a chance.

Quirk, making only his second start, drove in two runs with a double and triple at Oakland as the A’s beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 8-5, to avoid a series sweep and end the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak.

Quirk, who has played 12 years in the major leagues, passed on a contract with the Baltimore Orioles to play for the defending World Series champions.

“The Orioles made me an offer, but the A’s gave me a guaranteed contract,” Quirk said. “I’m 34 years old with a wife and kid. It was nice to know if things didn’t work out here, I’d still get paid for the season.

“If I’m going to be sitting on a major league roster, it might as well be on the best team in baseball.”

Quirk, who entered the game one for 10, broke a 5-5 tie in the A’s four-run, fifth inning with a run-scoring double. He gave Oakland a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring triple in the first.

“This guy’s a quality major leaguer,” LaRussa said. “If this was the last day of the season with the pennant at stake and he was our catcher, I’d have no problem putting him out there.”

Todd Burns (1-0) earned the victory, pitching 3 1/3 innings in relief of Curt Young. Dennis Eckersley got the last three outs for his 14th save in as many opportunities.

Willie Randolph hit his first home run for the A’s.

Manny Lee and Junior Felix hit consecutive homers for the Blue Jays for the second time in four games to start the four-run Toronto rally in the fifth.

Chicago 5, New York 2--Scott Fletcher hit a three-run homer and Sammy Sosa added a solo shot at Chicago as the White Sox won their fifth consecutive game and swept the Yankees for the first time since April 1985.

Fletcher, batting .202, hit his first home run in 134 at-bats this season. It was his 18th homer in 3,402 at-bats during his career.

The White Sox got only four hits but improved to 18-6 at Comiskey Park, best home record in the majors.

Greg Hibbard (4-3) allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings. Bobby Thigpen finished the combined five-hitter for his 16th save in 19 opportunities.

Chuck Cary (2-1) took the loss.

Steve Balboni hit his fourth homer for the Yankees.

Kansas City 4, Detroit 3--The Royals defeated Detroit for the 10th consecutive time at Royals Stadium as the bullpen held off the Tigers after an injury to starter Storm Davis.

Davis left with two out in the fourth with a bruised knuckle after stopping Cecil Fielder’s hard grounder. Luis Aquino (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and Steve Crawford worked two shutout innings. Jeff Montgomery pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Dan Petry (4-2) took the loss and dropped to 5-12 lifetime against Kansas City.

Gary Ward hit his third homer for the Tigers.

Texas 4, Boston 3--The Rangers ended their team-record nine-game home losing streak when Pete Incaviglia doubled home the winning run with one out in the 10th inning.

Julio Franco led off the 10th with a single--his third hit of the game--then stole second before scoring on Incaviglia’s double off Wes Gardner (0-2).

Kevin Brown held Boston to six hits through nine innings. Kenny Rogers (2-1) pitched the 10th for the victory.

Wade Boggs ended a two-for-20 slump with a solo homer, his second, in the Boston third.

Minnesota 12, Baltimore 3--Fred Manrique and Brian Harper drove in three runs apiece at Minneapolis as the Twins improved to 20-7 this month, their best May ever.

Gene Larkin had three of the Twins’ 16 hits against four Oriole pitchers. Larkin has hit in seven consecutive games, batting .542.

Roy Smith (4-4) earned the victory, scattering 10 hits over 7 2/3 innings before being relieved by Tim Drummond.

Pete Harnisch (5-2) took the loss.

Cal Ripken hit his seventh homer for the Orioles, his first since May 12.

Seattle 2, Milwaukee 1--Jeffrey Leonard homered for the first time in two weeks, and five pitchers held the Brewers to three hits at Seattle as the Mariners won for only the third time in nine games.

Bryan Clark (2-0), the Mariners’ second pitcher, got the victory and Mike Schooler got two outs for his 14th save.

Chris Bosio (4-3) gave up 11 hits in eight innings to take the loss.

Leonard’s homer was his seventh, his first since May 16.