AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : A’s Clutch a Victory on Hit by Henderson

The Boston Red Sox have looked at Dave Henderson in the clutch from both sides now.

Henderson hit a two-run single in the ninth inning Thursday night to give the Oakland Athletics a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox at Boston.

“I just made contact and the ball fell in,” said Henderson, the hero of Boston’s 1986 playoff victory over the Angels.

“There’s no pressure in that kind of situation. You either get a hit or strike out. It’s as simple as that.”

With their sixth victory in seven games and ninth in the past 11, the A’s moved to within four games of first-place Minnesota in the American League West. The Twins play four games in Oakland starting tonight.

Mark McGwire his 15th home run with a runner on to give the A’s a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Those were the only runs off Boston rookie Mike Gardiner before he was replaced in the eighth by Dennis Lamp (3-2).

Joe Klink (8-2), the third Oakland pitcher, gave up the tying run on Carlos Quintana’s run-scoring single in the eighth but got the victory when Dennis Eckersley pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save.

Chicago 13, Texas 2--Frank Thomas drove in three runs as the White Sox stretched their winning streak to eight games and moved to within two games of Minnesota by routing the Rangers at Chicago.

Thomas got three of Chicago’s 11 hits. He had a run-scoring double during a three-run fourth inning and singled home a run in a five-run eighth.

Rookie Ramon Garcia (3-3) won his third game in his past four starts, giving up seven hits in seven innings.

Bobby Witt (3-4) of Texas, making his first appearance since going on the disabled list on May 27 because of a rotator cuff problem, gave up eight runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked four batters, three of whom scored, and the Texas defense hurt him with three errors that led to three unearned runs.

Kansas City 6, Milwaukee 5--George Brett’s fourth hit, an opposite-field homer in the 11th inning, allowed the Royals to reach .500 for the first time since June 20 by beating the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Brett doubled and singled twice before hitting his seventh homer, off Darren Holmes (1-3), in the 11th inning.

Kansas City rookie Brent Mayne, from Cal State Fullerton, pinch hit for Tim Spehr in the eighth inning and hit his first major league home run to tie the score, 4-4.

Tom Gordon (7-9) gave up four hits in three innings and Jeff Montgomery got three outs for his 21st save.

New York 8, Minnesota 3--Matt Nokes homered twice, giving him 20 this season, and threw out Dan Gladden stealing twice as the Yankees ended their four-game losing streak at New York.

It was only the fourth defeat in the past 14 games for the Twins.

Nokes hit a two-run homer to cap a three-run first off Paul Abbott (3-1), and hit a solo homer on a 3-and-2 pitch from Mark Guthrie leading off the fifth for an 8-1 lead. It was the fourth two-homer game for Nokes since July 3, and his 20 homers are the most by a Yankee catcher since Thurman Munson hit 20 in 1973.

Greg Cadaret (4-4), making his third start of the season, gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings in his longest outing this year. Lee Guetterman finished, giving up Shane Mack’s 12th home run in the ninth.

Toronto 7, Cleveland 5--John Olerud drove in three runs, including a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning at Toronto, as the Blue Jays came from behind to beat the Indians.

With the score tied, 5-5, Devon White and Roberto Alomar hit consecutive singles off Jeff Shaw (0-4). Shortstop Carlos Baerga missed Joe Carter’s grounder for an error, loading the bases, and Jesse Orosco relieved. Olerud then flied to the fence in left and White scored without a throw.

Kelly Gruber followed with a sacrifice fly off Shawn Hillegas, Cleveland’s fourth pitcher.

Duane Ward (4-3) pitched two innings of one-hit relief and Tom Henke got three consecutive outs to remain perfect in 22 save opportunities.

Olerud also hit his 13th homer.