AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Jones Gets 20th Save in Indians’ 4-3 Victory Over Red Sox

Cleveland relief ace Doug Jones earned his 20th save and downplayed his role.

That was indicative of the game Monday night as the Indians edged the Red Sox 4-3 at Boston, on Tom Brookens’ two-out single in the 12th inning.

“I get the easy stuff,” Jones said after he retired the Red Sox in order in the 12th. He was the fifth Cleveland pitcher.

“I think saves are overrated, especially on nights like this,” he added.

Brookens entered the game at third base in the 10th after Jesse Orosco worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth. Brooken’s singled to left field, scoring Jerry Browne, who had singled and taken second on Mitch Webster’s sacrifice.

“When we got out of that bases-loaded, nobody-out situation, I thought something was going our way, and we would win this some way, somehow,” Brookens said.

“Boy, that was a tough one to lose, to put it mildly,” Boston manager Joe Morgan said, noting that the Red Sox left 14 runners on base. “We had our chances. We had a couple of golden opportunities.”

Rudy Seanez, a 21-year-old rookie reliever, earned his first major league victory.

Boston went ahead 3-2 on Evans’ two-run single in the seventh, but the Indians tied the score with an unearned run in the eighth.

Trailing 2-0, the Red Sox struck back after Cleveland starter Greg Swindell was forced to leave with a pulled left groin muscle in the sixth.

Cecilio Guante replaced Swindell with the count at 2-2 on Evans. Swindell scattered six hits and struck out a season-high eight batters before limping off.

Mike Boddicker lost a bid for a career-high seventh consecutive victory when he was relieved by Jeff Reardon in the eighth.

Candy Maldonado greeted Reardon with a double to right, took third on an infield out and then scored when Cory Snyder flied to short right, and catcher Pena dropped Tom Brunansky’s throw for an error.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jody Reed and Ellis Burks singled and moved up a base on Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar’s passed ball.

Brunansky was walked intentionally and Evans followed with his two-run single.

Milwaukee 4, Toronto 1--Bill Krueger pitched 5 1/3 hitless innings in a rare start as the Brewers broke a five-game losing streak at Milwaukee.

Krueger (3-3) allowed two hits, walked one and struck out five in eight innings against a Toronto team that had scored 31 runs in the first three games. Dan Plesac pitched the ninth, allowing one hit, to collect his 11th save while ending the Blue Jays’ winning streak at four games.

Krueger, a reliever making his first start since last June 24, gave up a one-out single to Mookie Wilson in the sixth. Wilson scored on a two-out single by Tony Fernandez to end the shutout bid.

The Brewers scored four runs in the fourth, driving out Toronto starter Willie Blair (0-3). B.J. Surhoff singled, reached third on two wild pitches and scored on Greg Brock’s double. Greg Vaughn followed with an RBI double and went to third on an infield out.

Paul Molitor walked and worked a double steal with Vaughn as Toronto second baseman Manny Lee had trouble getting the ball out of his glove after taking the throw. Gary Sheffield’s double scored Molitor, making it 4-0.

Chicago 3, Seattle 1--Melido Perez pitched seven shutout innings and Carlton Fisk hit the 341st homer of his career as the White Sox beat Mariners at Seattle.

It was the surprising second-place White Sox’s fourth straight win and moved them to within two games of the Oakland Athletics.

The Mariners, who committed three errors and surrendered two unearned runs, dropped to 11-18 in the Kingdome.

Perez (6-4) improved his lifetime record to 4-0 against the Seattle.

Fisk gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead when he led off the second inning with his fifth home run off Matt Young (1-7). It was Young’s fourth consecutive loss.

Chicago added an unearned run in the second after Carlos Martinez and Scott Fletcher followed Fisk’s homer with singles, with Martinez going to second.

The White Sox loaded the bases when Ozzie Guillen hit a grounder that shortstop Brian Giles couldn’t handle. Sammy Sosa hit a grounder to third baseman Edgar Martinez, who threw home but couldn’t get Carlos Martinez at the plate.