AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Struggling Twins Blow Lead, Game at Toronto

Until last week the Minnesota Twins were sailing along in charge of the American League West. Suddenly, the surprise team of this season is facing problems.

In addition to losing six of their last seven games, the Twins had to put their best pitcher, 12-game winner Scott Erickson on the disabled list. Erickson will be out at least 15 days with a strained right elbow.

Minnesota, in a meeting of the league’s division leaders Tuesday night at Toronto, blew numerous scoring opportunities and a 3-1 lead before losing to the Blue Jays, 4-3.

A bases-loaded single by Rance Mulliniks with nobody out in the ninth inning enabled the Blue Jays to overcome four errors and win their fourth in a row to maintain a 4 1/2-game lead in the East.

Mulliniks’ single to center field against Steve Bedrosian was the 16th hit for the Blue Jays, and it gave them 11 victories in 13 games.

“There’s no secret about Bedrosian,” Mulliniks said. “He comes right at you with a fastball and a slider. I would rather face a guy who comes right at you in a situation like this.”

The Twins built their early lead with the help of Juan Guzman’s wildness. The youngster had to leave after three innings because of a lower back pain.

Rene Gonzalez hit a home run in the third for the first Blue Jay run and they kept pecking away at Minnesota’s Kevin Tapani.

An infield out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning cut the deficit to one, and Toronto tied it in the eighth when Manny Lee’s two-out double scored pinch-runner Derek Bell from second.

Reliever Duane Ward (2-3) pitched a perfect ninth inning to get the victory.

Devon White began the Toronto ninth inning with an infield hit. He raced to third on Roberto Alomar’s single. The Twins elected to walk Joe Carter to pitch to Mulliniks, who foiled the plan.

Texas 9, Oakland 6--In his first start in two weeks, Nolan Ryan set another major league record, but he failed to get the victory at Arlington, Tex.

Ryan, by striking out five Athletics in five innings, became the first pitcher in major league history to strike out at least 100 batters in a season 22 times.

He departed after giving up two hits, including a three-run home run by Jose Canseco, in five innings. Ryan had a 5-4 lead.

But the Rangers couldn’t hold the lead, and it took a two-out, two-run single by Steve Buechele in the eighth to win it. The Rangers had 19 hits.

Jeff Russell pitched the ninth inning for his 16th save for the Rangers. With two on he struck out Canseco and Harold Baines to end the game.

Rafael Palmeiro hit two home runs to help Texas build a 5-0 lead. Ivan Rodriguez, just brought up from the minors, had his first four-hit game.

Boston 14, Milwaukee 4--The Red Sox had 22 hits at Milwaukee.

Ellis Burks hit a three-run home run, his seventh in the last 20 games, and Mike Greenwell and Luis Rivera each had four hits.

Greenwell had his hits in consecutive innings.

The Brewers’ 41-year-old catcher, Rick Dempsey, who drove in two runs, pitched the ninth inning. He gave up a run and three hits.

The Brewers lost their fourth in a row.

Dennis Lamp (3-1) won in relief when Tom Bolton couldn’t make it through the fifth inning.

New York 8, Cleveland 5--With Don Mattingly getting two hits and extending his batting streak to 15 games, the Yankees hammered Cleveland for 15 hits at New York and won their fourth game in a row.

Matt Nokes drove in three runs and Jesse Barfield hit his 17th home run as the Yankees handed the hapless Indians their sixth loss in a row and 50th of the season.

Carlos Baerga provided the Indians’ bright spot. He went four for four, including his ninth home run. He couldn’t prevent Wade Taylor from winning for the fourth time in six major league starts.

Detroit 4, Baltimore 3--Cecil Fielder hit a 440-foot home run and drove in another run at Baltimore to help Bill Gullickson win his 10th game.

Fielder’s 19th home run came in the fifth inning and gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead against Jeff Ballard (4-9), who has lost his last 11 decisions at home.

The Orioles fought back, scoring three times in the bottom of the fifth inning but couldn’t push over the tying run.

They had two runners on base in the ninth, but Mike Henneman struck out hot-hitting Cal Ripken Jr.

Gullickson gave up seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, but the three runs were unearned.

Chicago 5, Seattle 4--Ozzie Guillen doubled home the winning run in the ninth inning at Seattle to climax a late rally by the White Sox.

The White Sox tied the score in the eighth when Carlton Fisk hit a two-run home run.

Guillen’s double against Dave Burba scored Craig Grebeck, who had opened the ninth with a triple. It was the Mariners’ fourth loss in a row.