AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gruber Powers Blue Jay Win

The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping that comeback victories have suddenly become a habit.

Until Friday night, the Blue Jays had come from behind in the last inning to win only once in 61 games this season.

When Kelly Gruber hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday at Toronto to beat Baltimore, 4-3, it marked the second time they had done it in less than 24 hours.

For Gruber, it was his 27th home run of the season, nine more than he hit in 1989, his previous best. It came on a 2-and-0 pitch from Curt Schilling and the third baseman hit it into the left-field bleachers.

Pete Harnisch had given up five hits and led, 3-1. But Mookie Wilson, who drove in the first Toronto run, singled and went to third on another single by Tony Fernandez. That brought on Schilling.

Then, on a 2-and-0 count, Gruber hit his game-winner. In Friday’s comeback, Rance Mulliniks singled in two runs to tie the score and John Olerud’s single drove in the game-winning run.

In both instances, Willie Blair (3-5) won the game without making many pitches--one Friday night, two Saturday. Each time he came in after the Orioles scored in the top of the ninth to build a two-run lead.

The Blue Jays, two games behind Boston in the American League East, were ecstatic.

“The comeback Jays are back,” said Gruber, in his fifth season. “When I first came up, this team was known for late-inning rallies. We kind of forgot what it’s like to do it this season. But the feeling comes back in a hurry.

“When it happened just the night before, you have to think it can happen again.”

Until the last inning, it had been a big afternoon for the Orioles, especially the Ripken brothers, Cal and Billy. In the fifth inning, they hit home runs. It was the 15th time that brothers have homered in the same game. Graig and Jim Nettles were the last to accomplish that, on Sept. 14, 1974. It was only the fifth time brothers have homered in the same inning. Hank and Tommy Aaron were the last, in 1962.

Billy hit David Wells’ first pitch in the inning for his third home run to tie it, 1-1. Two outs later Cal hit Wells’ first pitch for his 18th to put Baltimore ahead. It was Cal’s 214th as a shortstop, breaking Vern Stephens’ record.

Oakland 4, Minnesota 1--Two former Dodger pitchers, Dave Stewart and Bob Welch, have contributed 44 victories as the Athletics’ move toward their third consecutive title in the West.

Welch improved to 24-6 when he gave up two hits and an unearned run in eight innings at Oakland.

Center fielder Willie McGee, who made his first error since joining the Athletics, made up for it with a two-run single that broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning.

In the third inning, Junior Ortiz hit a high fly that fell between McGee and right fielder Jose Canseco.

“That was my ball to take all the way,” McGee said. “There was no miscommunication. I should have taken it.”

The final Oakland run came when Rickey Henderson hustled home from third after shortstop Greg Gagne made a running catch of Harold Baines’ short fly to left.

Dennis Eckersley pitched the ninth for his 43rd save.

Chicago 7, Boston 4--It’s no fluke that the White Sox have the second-best record in the league. They are tearing up the leaders of the East.

Carlton Fisk and Lance Johnson each knocked in two runs at Chicago and the White Sox rallied to beat the Red Sox for the third game in a row.

The White Sox, 10 games behind Oakland, are 83-62. If they were in the Eastern Division, they would be 3 1/2 games ahead of Boston.

Record-breaking relief pitcher Bobby Thigpen got his 50th save, pitching a scoreless ninth. Greg Hibbard went 6 1/3 innings and improved to 13-8.

Detroit 4, New York 3--Frank Tanana, removed from the starting lineup after 10 poor performances, has turned it around.

Tanana gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings at Detroit to win his fourth in a row and improve to 8-7.

Cleveland 14, Kansas City 6--Rookie Turner Ward hit a three-run home run and a bases-loaded triple at Kansas City to lead the Indians to their fourth consecutive victory.

The Royals’ George Brett, trying to win the AL batting title for the third time, was two for five and drove in a run.

Texas 6, Milwaukee 3--Julio Franco and Jack Daugherty drove in two runs apiece at Arlington, Tex., to lead the Rangers to their third victory in a row.