AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Tapani Takes Control, Twins Beat Royals

Kevin Tapani is one of baseball’s best control pitchers, so when he started Monday night’s game with a walk, he knew he needed to get better.

He did.

Tapani became Minnesota’s third 15-game winner, pitching three-hit ball for 7 1/3 innings at Minneapolis and leading the Twins over the Kansas City Royals, 9-0.

Tapani (15-8) is 13-2 since June 5. He struck out seven and walked two, and Paul Abbott finished with hitless relief.

The game started with Tapani walking Kirk Gibson. He retired the next 13 batters, six by strikeouts. “I knew I wasn’t going to last long if I pitched like that,” Tapani said. “As a result, my stuff got better.”

Tapani joined Scott Erickson, who has won 18 games, and Jack Morris, with 16, as Minnesota’s top winners. The Angels and Atlanta are the only other teams with three 15-game winners.

Brian Harper hit a three-run homer and Mike Pagliarulo drove in two runs as the AL West-leading Twins bounced back from a lost weekend in Texas, where they dropped three of four games.

The Twins, who hit just .195 while in Texas, pounded Mark Gubicza (8-10) for eight runs in five innings.

Dan Gladden and Chuck Knoblauch singled to start the game, and Kirby Puckett’s sacrifice fly and Kent Hrbek’s RBI grounder made it 2-0.

An RBI double by Chili Davis and sacrifice flies by Pagliarulo and Greg Gagne increased it to 5-0 in the fourth. Gubicza walked Kent Hrbek and Davis with two out in the fifth, setting up Harper’s 10th homer and Gubicza’s own exit. Pagliarulo singled home a run in the eighth.

Baltimore 9, Boston 2--The Orioles don’t want to be spoilers, they just want respect.

They’re getting it from the Red Sox after dealing their division title hopes another blow with the victory at Boston as Randy Milligan hit two home runs and Mike Devereaux and Chris Hoiles each added one.

“It has nothing to do with the Red Sox or being spoilers or anything like that,” Manager Johnny Oates said after the Orioles improved to 6-2 against Boston this season. “We’re looking for respectability.”

The Red Sox lost for just the third time in 13 games. Cal Ripken Jr. doubled and singled twice as Baltimore rapped 16 hits. The Orioles have won six of eight.

Milwaukee 5, New York 4--Robin Yount celebrated his 36th birthday with a two-run single as the Brewers beat the Yankees to end a six-game losing streak on the road.

The Yankees, despite turning five double plays, were officially eliminated from the AL East race.

Mark Lee (2-4) won in relief. Doug Henry, the fourth Milwaukee pitcher, went one inning for his eighth save.

The score was tied at 2 when the Brewers loaded the bases in the fifth against Wade Taylor (7-10) on singles by Paul Molitor and B.J. Surhoff and a walk to Willie Randolph. Yount singled for the lead and Greg Vaughn followed with a sacrifice fly.

Bernie Williams’ RBI single in the fifth knocked out Milwaukee starter Don August. The Yankees made it 5-4 in the eighth on Kevin Maas’ RBI single.

Seattle 6, Toronto 5--Pete O’Brien homered to lead off the 11th inning at Seattle and the Mariners cost the Blue Jays a chance to increase its AL East lead.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen blew it, with relief ace Tom Henke giving up pinch hitter Alvin Davis’ tying single in the eighth inning and Mike Timlin allowing the Mariners to score in the 10th.

O’Brien then started the 11th with his 13th home run off Bob MacDonald (3-3), Toronto’s sixth pitcher.

The Blue Jays stayed 3 1/2 games ahead of Boston, which lost to Baltimore earlier in the evening. Third-place Detroit, which was idle, moved within five games of Toronto.

Winner Russ Swan (5-2) got the final out in the 11th.