AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Red Sox Within 3 1/2 Games

The Boston Red Sox got an important victory Thursday night against the New York Yankees, but it could prove to be costly.

The Red Sox pulled to within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East with a 7-2 victory over the Yankees at New York.

Boston center fielder Ellis Burks missed the game because of a stiff back and third baseman Wade Boggs fouled a ball off his right instep.

“Right now, I can’t put any weight on it,” Boggs said of his foot. “I can’t say how it’s going to feel tomorrow. Time will tell.”

Mike Greenwell drove in three runs, including two with a first-inning single, and Jack Clark hit a two-run single in the fifth for the Red Sox, who have won eight of nine.

“It’s a lot more fun being in the position we are,” Clark said, “coming from where we came from.”

Kevin Morton (5-3) gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Greg Harris got four outs and Tony Fossas finished the eight-hitter.

Pascual Perez (1-3) gave up four runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings as the Yankees lost their seventh in a row, their longest losing streak this season. Perez struck out five and walked three.

Morton held the Yankees to two hits in six innings before Don Mattingly opened the seventh with his eighth homer. Mike Humphreys’ two-out, run-scoring single brought on Harris.

Boston, which has won 11 of 13, went ahead in the first on Greenwell’s single. The Red Sox had loaded the bases on singles by Jody Reed and Phil Plantier and Clark’s walk.

Texas 4, Minnesota 3--Nolan Ryan moved past Tom Seaver on the all-time victory list and became only the second pitcher to reach double figures in wins in 20 seasons with the victory at Arlington, Tex.

Ryan (10-6) gave up one run, two hits and struck out nine in seven innings to earn his 312th victory, which puts him in 14th place on the career list. Don Sutton is the only pitcher to reach double figures in victories more times than Ryan. Sutton did it 21 times.

“I don’t think much about records, but it’s good to be in that kind of company,” Ryan said. “Our team was tired getting home at 7 a.m. from the West Coast, but I was fresh because I stayed behind. It helped. I had good control.”

Jack Morris (16-11) gave up four runs in the first inning.

Jeff Russell finished for his 27th save.

Milwaukee 7, Detroit 0--B.J. Surhoff hit a bases-loaded triple that capped a six-run seventh inning at Milwaukee as the Tigers lost for the 10th time in 14 games and dropped 5 1/2 games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East.

Chris Bosio (11-10) gave up four hits in six-plus innings. Julio Machado, Mark Lee and Doug Henry finished with hitless relief.

The Brewers, who had only three runs in 41 innings entering the game, scored off Mark Leiter (8-4) in the sixth.

Cleveland 6, Baltimore 5--Charles Nagy (9-12) gave up two runs and eight hits in eight innings to lead the Indians at Baltimore.

Oriole pitchers walked seven, including six in four-plus innings by Jose Mesa (5-10).

Carlos Martinez and Reggie Jefferson each drove in two runs for the Indians.

Cal Ripken hit his 28th homer.