AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Toronto Pulls Within 4 Games of Red Sox

Behind the pitching of David Wells and the hitting of Kelly Gruber, the Toronto Blue Jays chipped another half-game off Boston’s lead in the American League East on Monday night, defeating the staggering Royals, 6-1, at Kansas City.

The Blue Jays, who trailed by 6 1/2 games a week ago, are now four back after winning their fifth consecutive game while Boston split a doubleheader against Milwaukee. Kansas City has lost eight in a row.

In eight innings, Wells (11-4) held the Royals to four hits, including George Brett’s league-leading 43rd double. Wells retired 16 consecutive batters before John Candelaria pitched the ninth.

Gruber, who hit a single, double, sacrifice fly and scored a run, finished with four RBIs to give him eight in his last three games.

He hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning to score Mookie Wilson and a two-run double in the fifth inning to put the Blue Jays ahead, 4-1.

In the seventh inning, Gruber hit a single to score Tony Fernandez, who had three hits in the game.

Boston 5-1, Milwaukee 4-6--Dave Parker hit his 21st home run and Robin Yount continued his climb on the all-time hit list as the Brewers beat the Red Sox at Boston for a split of a twi-night doubleheader.

Behind Greg Harris (13-6), the Red Sox won the opener as Luis Rivera keyed a four-run fourth inning with a two-run double. The Red Sox hit six doubles, all by different players, in an 11-hit attack that included eight hits off starter Mark Knudson (10-9) in 3 2/3 innings.

Yount was three for four in the first game, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig for 38th place among baseball’s all-time hit leaders. He was two for three in the second game and has 2,726 career hits.

In the second game, the Brewers’ Tom Edens (4-2) and Chuck Crim combined to outduel Boston’s Dana Kiecker (6-8).

Seattle 5, Oakland 2--At Seattle, Ken Griffey Sr. hit a three-run home run and Eric Hanson pitched a six-hitter to end the Athletics’ seven-game winning streak.

Hanson (14-9), pitched 8 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out 10. Keith Comstock got the final out for his second save.

Griffey’s home run off Bob Welch (23-6) with two out in the third inning turned a 2-1 lead into a 5-1 advantage. Welch allowed all five runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Cleveland 3-2, Chicago 2-6--Eric King (9-4) got his first victory since June 27, and Bobby Thigpen extended his major league record to 49 saves as the White Sox ended a four-game losing streak and beat the Indians to split a doubleheader at Cleveland.

The Indians won the opener when pinch-hitter Carlos Baerga drew a bases-loaded walk from reliever Barry Jones with one out in the ninth inning. The White Sox had their chance in the top of the ninth inning, but Doug Jones (5-5) struck out two batters with a runner at third base to earn the victory.

Chicago’s Carlton Fisk, who is 42, hit a home run in each game, giving him 17 for the season and 49 since he turned 40 years old, tying Stan Musial for second place in home runs by players 40 years and over. Darrell Evans leads that category with 60 home runs.

Detroit 8, Baltimore 0--Frank Tanana gave up three hits over seven innings and Lou Whitaker broke an 0-for-25 slump with a home run and three RBIs as the Tigers won at Baltimore.

Tanana (7-7), who entered the game with a 6.06 earned-run average, combined with Mike Henneman and Jerry Don Gleaton as the Tigers pitched consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1985. The Tigers beat Milwaukee, 5-0, Sunday.

Texas 1, New York 0--Rafael Palmeiro’s single with two out in the 11th inning lifted the Rangers at New York.

Palmeiro’s hit made a winner of Kenny Rogers (8-5), the third of five Texas pitchers.

Rookies Scott Chiamparino of Texas and Dave Eiland of New York both pitched well. Chiamparino, making his second major league start after being acquired from Oakland in the Harold Baines deal last week, gave up four hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out four. He is unscored upon in 12 innings since coming up from the minors.

Eiland, also just up from the minors, yielded four singles in 8 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out five.

The Rangers have won six in a row; the Yankees have dropped five in a row and 10 of 11, scoring only 20 runs in the process, six of them in one game.