AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : With Brett Sidelined, Gibson Picks Up the Slack

With George Brett sidelined for at least a month, the Kansas City Royals are in need of a leader.

How about Kirk Gibson?

Signed by the Royals as a free agent during the offseason, Gibson hit a home run for the third game in a row Tuesday night at Cleveland, and Storm Davis pitched a shutout for the first time since 1985. Davis gave up five hits in a 6-0 victory, the fourth time in 12 games the Indians have been shut out.

Brett will miss about a month because of a torn ligament in his right knee, suffered while running to first Monday night.

Last season, when injuries hampered him early while playing with the Dodgers, Gibson played in only 89 games and hit only eight home runs with 38 runs batted in.

As the designated hitter, Gibson has appeared in 12 of the 13 games. He has five home runs and 10 runs batted in and is batting .292.

New York 5, Detroit 0--Don Mattingly ended a streak of 312 at-bats without a home run with one in the first inning at New York. Mattingly, who had back problems last year, had not hit a home run since May 20.

Dave Eiland (1-0) and Steve Farr held the Tigers to four hits. In their two previous games against the Yankees, the Tigers had scored 21 runs.

Boston 3, Toronto 0--Roger Clemens extended his scoreless string to 30 innings at Boston.

Clemens, who had walked only one batter in 25 innings, walked four and gave up five hits in seven innings to become the majors’ first four-game winner.

Wade Boggs hit a 425-foot home run in the third , and Mike Greenwell hit a homer in the seventh.

In four starts, Clemens has pitched 32 innings and given up one run and 17 hits. He has walked five and struck out 34 and has an earned-run average of 0.28.

Chicago 10, Baltimore 4--In a game delayed in the second inning for more than two hours because of rain at the new Comiskey Park, Frank Thomas homered and drove in four runs for the White Sox.

Oakland 7, Minnesota 5--Terry Steinbach hit a three-run home run in the first inning at Minneapolis and Jose Canseco stole home on the front end of a double steal as the A’s ended their losing streak at five.

Dennis Eckersley pitched the ninth inning and got the save after giving up a home run to Greg Gagne.

Texas 6, Milwaukee 5--Pinch-hitter Mike Stanley squeezed home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning at Milwaukee and gave Goose Gossage, in relief, his first victory since 1989.