AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Mariners Stay Calm, Complete Sweep of A’s

Before the Seattle Mariners began this season, their 15th, they thought they finally had a team that could finish above .500.

Then they opened the season with six consecutive defeats and there was much disappointment in Seattle.

But all the optimism returned this weekend at the Kingdome.

The Mariners scored five runs in the eighth inning Sunday to break a 2-2 tie and complete a three-game sweep of the three-time American League champion Oakland Athletics, 7-2.

Randy Johnson held the Athletics to three hits in eight innings to improve his record to 2-1.

Among the accomplishments of the Mariners were:

--They ended Dave Stewart’s string of 20 consecutive victories in April by pounding him for nine hits and seven runs in 5 1/3 innings Friday night.

--They knocked out bullpen ace Dennis Eckersley with three runs in the ninth Saturday to win, 3-2. It was only the third time in 55 opportunities Eckersley failed to hold the lead.

The sweep gave the Mariners a six-game winning streak, a 6-6 record and put them only 2 games behind Chicago, the division leader.

“We didn’t panic,” Manager Jim Lefebvre said. “We outpitched, outhit and outplayed the Athletics.”

The Athletics have lost four in a row.

Chicago 5, Detroit 4--It wasn’t easy, but the White Sox, in their third try, finally won in their new Comiskey Park.

First, though, their usually dependable bullpen ace, Bobby Thigpen, failed to hold a 3-1 lead in the eighth. He gave up a two-run home run to Cecil Fielder to tie the score, then a run-scoring double to Travis Fryman to put the Tigers ahead, 4-3.

An error helped the White Sox win it. With two out in the ninth, Ozzie Guillen singled off Paul Gibson. Guillen scored the tying run when right fielder Rob Deer dropped Scott Fletcher’s fly ball.

Fletcher reached second and scored on Lance Johnson’s single.

Milwaukee 11, Toronto 8--Robin Yount hit a three-run home run with one out in the 10th inning at Milwaukee to spark a big comeback by the Brewers.

The Blue Jays built an 8-3 lead, then blew it in the eighth inning. Jim Gantner singled in two runs, an infield out scored another and Bill Spiers tied it with another two-run single.

The Brewers lost Paul Molitor with a thigh injury. Molitor, who had been used as a designated hitter, opened at first base but was injured running out a double.