AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Blue Jays Pull Unaccustomed Rally to Win, 8-7

One of the Toronto Blue Jays’ biggest problems has been their inability to rally in the last inning.

The Blue Jays scored three runs off Baltimore Oriole reliever Gregg Olson in the ninth inning Friday night at Toronto for an 8-7 victory.

It was only the second time in 60 games Toronto has come from behind in its final at-bat.

Rance Mulliniks singled home two runs to tie the score, and John Olerud singled to win it and enable the Blue Jays to take a giant step in pursuit of the title in the American League East.

“They (the Red Sox) must have looked up at the scoreboard, saw that we were down two runs with Olson pitching and must have felt pretty good,” said Mulliniks, 7 for 16 as a pinch-hitter. “So they must have felt bad when they saw we pulled it out.”

Oriole Manager Frank Robinson was upset about the ball four call on Fred McGriff on a 3-and-2 count preceding Mulliniks’ hit. “That was the play,” Robinson said. “Everyone but the umpire knew it was strike three.”

Olson, who has had arm trouble recently, has 31 saves. This was his fifth missed save opportunity.

With Boston losing, the Blue Jays are only three games behind with 17 remaining.

Toronto, with Jimmy Key pitching hitless ball, led, 3-0, after five innings.

But the Orioles scored six times in the sixth inning, four of the runs coming on Sam Horn’s pinch grand slam.

Chicago 4, Boston 0--Sammy Sosa hit a two-run home run and Jack McDowell (13-7) gave up only four hits in seven innings at Chicago. It was the second victory in a row for the White Sox over Boston, which has lost eight of its last 12.

The Red Sox found that reliever Jeff Reardon wasn’t ready to pitch.

Reardon, in his first outing after back surgery Aug. 4, pitched only one-third of an inning, giving up two runs and four hits.

Texas 2, Milwaukee 1--Nolan Ryan gave up four hits and a run and struck out 11 in eight innings and left with a 1-1 tie.

In the 10th inning, rookie Juan Gonzalez hit his fourth home run to win it for relief pitcher Kenny Rogers (9-5).

Ryan extended his major league record to 14 seasons in which he has struck out at least 200 batters.

New York 5, Detroit 2--Tim Leary (9-18) won in his bid to avoid 20 defeats, but the big news for the Yankees was a hit by Don Mattingly.

Mattingly, out since July 24 with a back problem that has bothered him for two years, lashed a pinch double to celebrate his return.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 4--Sergio Valdez (4-5) gave up eight hits in 7 2/3 innings at Cleveland, but he held hot-hitting George Brett hitless as the Indians won for the fifth time in six games.

Brett, who had climbed into a virtual tie for the batting lead, fell to .324, going 0 for 4.