AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Yankees’ 5-4 Victory Ends Bobby Witt’s Winning Streak at 12

During his 12-game winning streak, Bobby Witt was defeating pennant contenders such as Oakland, Boston and Toronto.

But the Texas Ranger pitcher’s streak ended Tuesday against the team with the worst record in the American League--the New York Yankees.

Mel Hall delivered a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth inning Tuesday night at New York to bring the Yankees from behind for a 5-4 victory. It ended the Yankees’ five-game losing streak and the Rangers’ six-game winning streak.

It was only the second victory in the last 12 games for the Yankees, who had been beaten seven times in a row by the Rangers.

Witt, who has one of the best fastballs in the game, had been mostly a disappointment to the Rangers after a promising beginning in 1986 when he was only 21.

All that changed after a loss to Seattle June 17. In 15 starts, he had three no-decisions and won all the rest. He beat Oakland in a game in which he struck out 10 and walked 10.

Witt had given up two earned runs or less in nine of his previous 10 starts.

He had a 2-1 lead and was trying for his first walk-free game in 137 starts before walking Kevin Maas to open the seventh. Hall singled and the runners advanced on a sacrifice. With two out, Jim Leyritz singled them home. In 59 at-bats with runners in scoring position, he has only 10 hits.

The Rangers regained the lead in the top of the eighth when Kevin Reimer tripled to drive in one run and scored the other on Rafael Palmeiro’s single.

Witt’s other walk to Roberto Kelly with one out in the bottom of the inning started his downfall. Steve Sax singled, and with two out, Hall’s drive was just beyond right fielder Ruben Sierra’s outstretched glove.

“I felt I let the team down after they battled back to get me the lead,” Witt (15-9) said. “I’m disappointed in myself. You want to go out there and stop them and I didn’t.”

Toronto 8, Kansas City 4--Tony Fernandez hit a grand slam in the second inning at Kansas City and the Blue Jays went on to win their sixth in a row.

The Blue Jays have pulled to within three games of the faltering Red Sox in the East.

Milwaukee 4, Boston 2--Robin Yount, who had three hits to beat the Red Sox in the second game of the doubleheader at Boston Monday night, hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie in this game.

Ron Robinson (10-3) gave up four hits and one earned run in seven innings for his sixth consecutive victory. Dennis Lamp, a reliever replacing ailing Roger Clemens, held the Brewers to two singles in five innings in his first start in three years.

Cleveland 4, Chicago 3--The White Sox lost for the fifth time in six games on a bloop double by Brook Jacoby with two out in the ninth inning at Cleveland.

Reliever Barry Jones (11-3) lost for the second time in two nights. He gave a single to Carlos Baerga, then Jacoby’s double landed just between shortstop Ozzie Guillen and center fielder Lance Johnson. Baerga scored when catcher Ron Karkovice dropped the relay as Baerga slid home.

Detroit 2, Baltimore 1--Alan Trammell returned from a back injury that sidelined him Saturday and doubled home two runs in the eighth inning at Baltimore to bring the Tigers from behind.

Steve Finley’s second home run had given the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the seventh.

Oakland 10, Seattle 2--At Seattle, Rickey Henderson had another big game and the Athletics increased their lead in the West to 10 games by winning their seventh in a row.

The Athletics had a 3-2 lead when Henderson, who stole three bases, singled in two runs to trigger a seven-run rally.

Curt Young (9-5) and three relievers held the Mariners in check.