BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Changing Up, Wells Sets Down White Sox

David Wells was desperate, so he changed his mechanics and shaved his mustache.

Whatever he did, it worked. Wells allowed three hits in eight innings and Joe Carter drove in both runs with a home run and a single Thursday night as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox, 2-0, at Toronto.

“I figured I needed to do something to change the way I was going,” said Wells (3-3), who is 2-0 without the mustache.

“I’ve had (the mustache) for seven or eight years, so it was tough to shave it off. But with the way I’m throwing now, it’s a good thing my wife likes it (off).”

Wells struck out eight and walked one before Duane Ward finished with perfect ninth inning for his ninth save in 10 opportunities.

Carter hit his fourth home run in the first inning off Melido Perez (1-2) and singled home the other run in the sixth. Carter is eight for 20 against Perez.

Boston 8, Texas 4--Goose Gossage walked Jack Clark with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Mike Greenwell followed with a two-run double as the Red Sox won at home.

Boston, which won for the eighth time in 10 games, rallied from a 4-0 deficit after three innings. Juan Gonzalez hit a three-run home run for Texas in the second and Julio Franco added a bases-empty homer in the third.

It was 4-3 going to the seventh inning when Luis Rivera doubled off Scott Chiamparino. Mike Jeffcoat (1-1) came in and threw a wild pitch before walking Wade Boggs, and Jody Reed singled home the tying run off Gossage.

Gossage walked Ellis Burks and Clark to give Boston a 5-4 lead before Greenwell, who also had a triple and a single, delivered.

Detroit 3, Minnesota 0--Cecil Fielder homered and Dan Petry combined with Paul Gibson on a seven-hitter as the Tigers won at Minneapolis for their eighth victory in nine games.

Fielder, who led the majors with 51 homers last year, hit his fourth home run of the season with one out in the fourth inning after Alan Trammell walked.

Petry (1-1), who pitched only 1 1/3 innings last Saturday because of back spasms, allowed six hits before Gibson relieved with two out and the bases loaded in the seventh. Gibson struck out Kirby Puckett to end the threat and finished with one-hit relief for his third save.

Mickey Tettleton hit his fourth home run in the seventh inning off Kevin Tapani (2-2).

Philadelphia 9, San Diego 6--Ricky Jordan homered twice, giving him three home runs and eight RBIs in two days, as the Phillies won at San Diego.

Fred McGriff hit two two-run homers for the Padres, giving him seven this season. He extended his hitting streak to 14 games, matching Brett Butler of the Dodgers for the major league high.

Terry Mulholland (4-2) allowed seven hits in eight innings and equaled his career high with eight strikeouts. Mitch Williams earned his seventh save.