AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Yankees Send Steinbrenner Out With a Victory

George Steinbrenner’s 17 1/2-year reign ended Monday night with one more news conference and the New York Yankees’ 6-5, 11-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at New York.

“He’s still part of us,” Manager Stump Merrill said. “That’s the important thing.”

The loss dropped the Blue Jays one game behind Boston in the American League East as the Red Sox beat Baltimore, 2-1.

The Yankees won the game when Alvaro Espinoza missed a squeeze sign and chopped a bases-loaded single over the head of shortstop Tony Fernandez.

“I was lucky,” Espinoza said. “I missed the sign all the way.”

Greg Cadaret (5-4) pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings for the victory, yielding three hits.

Kevin Maas, who hit his 15th homer in the Yankees’ four-run first inning, opened the 11th with a walk off Jim Acker (2-3) and took second when catcher Pat Borders dropped Bob Geren’s sacrifice.

Acker pounced on Jesse Barfield’s bunt and fired to third, but third baseman Luis Sojo failed to touch the bag and was charged with an error, loading the bases.

Jim Leyritz struck out, but Espinoza singled on the first pitch.

“I saw Geren running to third but I didn’t see Maas at all,” Espinoza said. “I was lucky I got a pitch over the plate.”

Boston 2, Baltimore 1--Ellis Burks’ sacrifice fly in the eighth scored Carlos Quintana with the Red Sox’s winning run at Boston.

Quintana opened the eighth with a hit off first baseman David Segui’s glove and took second when Segui threw to an uncovered base for an error.

After Jeff Ballard relieved starter Pete Harnisch (9-8), Wade Boggs beat out a hit to first before Burks delivered.

Greg Harris (10-5) matched his career high for victories with ninth-inning help from Jeff Gray, who got his fourth save. Harris gave up a run and three hits and seven walks in eight innings. Harnisch gave up three hits but walked eight in eight-plus innings.

Chicago 11, Oakland 1--Jack McDowell pitched a three-hitter to lead the White Sox past the Athletics at Chicago.

Frank Thomas hit a two-run triple to cap a three-run first inning, and Sammy Sosa added some insurance in the sixth with a two-run homer off Oakland starter Dave Stewart (17-9). Chicago turned the game into a rout with a five-run eighth.

The win moved the White Sox to within 5 1/2 games of first-place Oakland in the AL West.

McDowell (10-6) settled down after allowing a first-inning run. He struck out eight and walked three to win his fourth straight start and post his fourth complete game of the season.

Stewart, who entered the game having won six consecutive decisions, allowed nine hits and five earned runs in seven innings.

Texas 6, Seattle 5--Julio Franco singled home the winning run with the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rangers a come-from-behind victory at Arlington, Tex.

Franco’s third hit scored Pete Incaviglia and handed the Mariners their fourth loss in a row.

The Rangers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to give Mike Jeffcoat (4-5) the victory. Mike Jackson (5-5), who came in during the Rangers’ three-run seventh, was the loser.

Seattle’s Erik Hanson, who missed his last start with a stomach flu, left after Gary Green opened the Texas seventh with a single. Hanson was charged with three runs.

Kansas City 7, Minnesota 1--Willie Wilson and Frank White hit two-run doubles at Kansas City and the Royals handed the Twins their sixth consecutive loss.

Kansas City’s Storm Davis (7-8) yielded a run and four hits in eight innings. Jeff Montgomery pitched the ninth.

White’s double in a three-run sixth inning finished Minnesota’s David West (6-8), who yielded six Kansas City runs and and gave up seven hits. Wilson’s double gave the Royals a 3-1 lead in the first.

Milwaukee 4, Cleveland 3--Dave Parker homered and drove in three runs to lead the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Tom Edens (3-1), used primarily in relief, made his second start of the season and fourth of his career, lasting a career-high 5 2/3 innings to get his first victory as a starter. He gave up seven hits and three runs.

The Brewers broke a 2-2 tie on Bill Spiers’ bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fourth, scoring Robin Yount, who walked, took second on Rob Deer’s infield groundout and went to third on an error by shortstop Felix Fermin.

Jim Gantner hit a liner off third baseman Brook Jacoby’s glove for a single, loading the bases against Steve Olin (1-4).

Milwaukee’s Gary Sheffield singled in the fifth, stole second and continued on to third on catcher Sandy Alomar’s throwing error. Parker singled to make it 4-2.