AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McDowell, White Sox Triumph

Jack McDowell and the White Sox prevailed, 4-2, in a matchup of All-Star pitchers Friday night at Chicago.

McDowell (10-4) outpitched Jack Morris (11-6), ending the veteran right-hander’s eight-game winning streak. Both pitched well and should be rested for Tuesday’s All-Star game at Toronto.

It was 1-1 when Scott Fletcher opened the seventh with an infield hit. With one out, Morris walked Tim Raines. Robin Ventura followed with his fifth home run, a line drive into the right-field seats.

McDowell went 7 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and both Minnesota runs. Bobby Thigpen got the last three outs for his 17th save.

Morris, who had not lost since May 19, pitched his seventh complete game, giving up seven hits and walking four.

The Twins, losers of eight of their last 10, still lead the American League West by one game. The White Sox have won 12 of their last 15 games and are 2 1/2 games out.

Manager Tom Kelly seemed concerned about the Twins’ slump.

“We’re missing a few guys (Dan Gladden, Gene Larkin) and using some other ones,” he said. “They’re just not getting the job done, but that’s no excuse for losing.”

Baltimore 7, New York 4--Sam Horn and Randy Milligan hit home runs at New York to end the Yankees’ six-game winning streak.

Horn and Milligan also had run-scoring singles as the Orioles, who had lost three in a row, built a 5-0 lead at the expense of Tim Leary.

The Yankees, needing a victory to reach the .500 mark, fought back. Pat Sheridan’s leadoff home run started a four-run burst in the sixth, but Mike Flanagan and Gregg Olson shut them down in the last three innings.

Leary (4-8) gave up five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. The home run by Horn traveled about 450 feet. A 19-game loser last season, Leary has a 6.30 earned-run average.

“We’ll have discussed taking him out of the rotation,” Yankee Manager Stump Merrill said. “We’ll have to see where we’re at. It’s not pretty.”

The Orioles’ Jeff Robinson (4-6) won for the first time in seven starts, but had to leave in the sixth with an ankle injury.

Oakland 9, Kansas City 3--The day after Jose Canseco was omitted from the All-Star team, he hit a grand slam at Kansas City to spark the Athletics.

It was the 21st home run for the A’s slugger, keeping him in a tie for the major league lead.

Canseco’s slam came after Tom Gordon (4-7) walked the bases loaded with two out in the fourth.

That was all Andy Hawkins needed to improve his record to 3-5. He lasted six innings.

Fourteen of Canseco’s last 18 hits have been for extra bases. He has eight home runs in the last 15 games.

“You always want to go to the game,” Canseco said. “I told (Manager Tony) La Russa that I’m just trying to get picked as the bat boy or water boy, anything. But, I started so poorly, I didn’t have a chance.”

Boston 10, Detroit 1--Jack Clark, who has struggled through the first half, finally put together a big game.

He drove in seven runs, capped by a three-run home run in the eighth inning at Boston.

That production paid off for Kevin Morton, who made an impressive major league debut, pitching a five-hitter and striking out nine. Morton is the only player the Red Sox have to show for Bruce Hurst. When Hurst signed as a free agent with San Diego, Morton was the supplemental draft choice.

Said Clark: “I’m a streak hitter, and I get home runs and runs batted in in bunches. The bunches just haven’t been coming this season.”

Milwaukee 4, Cleveland 2--Rookie first baseman Reggie Jefferson committed an error with the bases loaded that presented the Brewers with the victory at Cleveland.

In the first inning, Jefferson hit a home run.

The Brewers, with a strong performance from Bill Wegman (4-3) for eight innings, ended a six-game losing streak. The Indians have lost eight of the last nine.

Toronto 2, Seattle 1--Roberto Alomar’s third hit, a double in the eighth inning at Seattle, gave the Blue Jays the victory.

The Blue Jays have won six of their last seven and 13 of 16. The Mariners have lost six of seven.