AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Rangers Extend Streak to 14

As their winning streak continues, the Texas Rangers’ confidence soars.

Juan Gonzalez and Julio Franco each drove in three runs Monday night at Arlington, Tex., and the Rangers beat Minnesota, 11-4, for their 14th victory in a row.

The Rangers got 15 hits, the 11th game in a row in which they have had 10 hits or more. They raised their batting average for the streak to .348. They have scored at least five runs in each game and have averaged more than eight.

“I guess the ’27 Yankees did what these guys are doing right now,” Twin Manager Tom Kelly said.

“There are no outs in this lineup,” said Franco, who has hit safely in 15 consecutive games.

The last American League team to win 14 in a row was the Oakland Athletics, who did it in 1988. It was the year the Athletics won the first of three consecutive Western Division titles.

The Rangers don’t fear the Athletics.

“Oakland is just another team,” said bullpen ace Jeff Russell. “I think we’ve got a better team than they do. Man for man, I think we’ve got more depth.”

The Rangers, who are 17-6 in May, have a 25-14 record and lead Oakland by a game.

The Rangers have come a long way since a spring training camp during which everything went wrong. They began slowly, winning five of their first 12.

It is no coincidence the Texas surge began after the 21-year-old Gonzalez, who underwent knee surgery during training camp, rejoined them. The center fielder was three for five in this romp. His two-out, two-run double in the first inning put the Rangers ahead to stay. He has 33 runs batted in, tied for third in the American League. He increased his average to .355; he soon will have enough at-bats to qualify for the league lead and will start out near the top.

Detroit 15, Milwaukee 9--For those who stayed to the finish at Milwaukee, it was 5 hours 37 minutes of mostly wild baseball.

Milt Cuyler’s three-run double highlighted a seven-run 14th inning that carried the Tigers to their seventh victory in their last 11 games.

The Tigers took a 6-1 lead, but the Brewers fought back. They made the score 8-8 with three runs in the eighth, on Dale Sveum’s home run and Greg Vaughn’s two-run single.

Former Dodger Rick Dempsey singled in a run in the bottom of the 14th, but it came an inning too late.

There were 31 hits--including five home runs--21 walks, 23 runners left on base and 11 pitchers.

“It was a long, long game,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “I may have been in longer doubleheaders, but not a single game.”

New York 6, Boston 5--In recent years when they have been losers, the Yankees seldom came from behind to win.

So, they hardly knew how to react when Mel Hall hit a three-run home run against Red Sox relief ace Jeff Reardon in the ninth inning to give the Yankees their fifth victory in a row.

The Red Sox took a 5-0 lead for Danny Darwin, but Hall hit a home run and Jess Barfield hit two to get the Yankees back in the game.

“This is the most exciting it’s been around here since I got here,” said Hall, who is in his third season with the Yankees. “This is really something special. Now, if we could keep it up.”

Although they lost for the fourth time in the past five games, the Red Sox remain atop the East by percentage points.

Cleveland 3, Baltimore 2--Beau Allred hit the tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning at Baltimore and the Indians made new Manager Johnny Oates’ record 0-4.

Knuckleballer Tom Candiotti improved to 6-2, going seven innings and giving up seven hits.

Kansas City 6, Seattle 3--George Brett singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning at Seattle, then Brian McRae saved the victory for his father, Manager Hal McRae.

McRae made two sensational diving catches in center to thwart rallies and send the slumping Mariners to their sixth loss in a row.

The Royals have won three of four since McRae became the manager.