AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Puckett Helps Twins Rout Red Sox, 14-1

There is a tendency to take Kirby Puckett for granted. The Minnesota Twins’ center fielder is penciled in for a .320 average, 200 hits and steady defensive play, then seems to be forgotten.

The Twins learned last season how important the stocky veteran is. In a below-par season--for him--he batted .298 and had only 164 hits.

That kind of season from their best hitter had more than a little to do with the Twins finishing last in the American League West.

The Twins finished 29 games behind Oakland. With Puckett having his normal season, the Twins are out in front.

Puckett had two hits and drove in three runs Sunday at Boston to lead the Twins to a 14-1 victory over the slumping Red Sox. Puckett increased his average to .328 and the Twins extended their lead in the West to 5 1/2 games.

Puckett singled in a run in the first inning as the Twins continued to get their pitcher an early lead. Kevin Tapani, who gave up three hits and an unearned run in six innings, had a 5-0 lead by the third inning.

The Twins are 8-2 since the All-Star break, while the Red Sox, who were leading the East a month ago, have lost four in a row. They are 10-16 in the last month.

Puckett is 35 for 82 in the first inning this season (.426) and has driven in 15 runs.

“I made up my mind in spring training that I would put last season behind me,” Puckett said. “I felt we had a chance to make a move, and I wanted to do my part.

“In case anybody doubted it, we are a really solid team.”

With the four-game sweep, the Twins finished the season series against Boston with a 9-3 record.

The Red Sox, who fell below .500 (45-46) for the first time since the second week of the season, are 3-8 since the break.

Oakland 4, New York 2--Dave Stewart gave the Athletics a lift with seven strong innings at Oakland and Mike Gallego continued his unexpected power hitting.

Stewart (8-5) gave up a homer to Alvaro Espinosa in the sixth and Pat Sheridan hit one off Dennis Eckersley in the ninth as the A’s ended a four-game losing streak.

Gallego had 11 home runs in 1,261 at-bats before this season, but he has hit seven, four in July.

Milwaukee 2, Chicago 1--Knuckleball specialist Charlie Hough handled all the Brewers except Greg Vaughn at Chicago and the young left fielder beat him.

Hough, 43, gave up only three hits in seven innings, but Vaughn had two of them. He hit his 13th home run in the second inning to tie the score. He opened the seventh with an infield hit, took second on a walk to Franklin Stubbs, went to third on a sacrifice and scored the winning run on Candy Maldonado’s groundout.

Robin Ventura continued his hot hitting. He had three more hits and is batting .406 in the last 16 games.

Texas 6, Toronto 5--Pinch-hitter Kevin Reimer hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning at Arlington, Tex., to bring the Rangers from behind for their second victory in a row.

Joe Carter hit a three-run homer, his 23rd home run, to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead.

Jeff Huson beat out an infield hit and Reimer hit the next pitch for his fifth home run.

Kansas City 8, Detroit 4--For most of his career, George Brett has hit better in the second half of the season. He seems ready for another late-season drive.

Brett hit two home runs at Kansas City and increased his average, which was in the low .200s early in the season, to .262.

Seattle 6, Baltimore 4--Ken Griffey Jr. and Alvin Davis hit home runs during a five-run fifth inning at Baltimore that brought the Mariners their 20th come-from-behind victory of the season.

The Mariners trailed, 4-1, but Griffey’s three-run home run tied the score and Davis hit a two-run drive to put them ahead to stay.