AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Blue Jays Finally Prevail in Extra Innings

The Toronto Blue Jays finally managed to win an extra-inning game at Seattle. After losing two consecutive games in the 11th inning, the Blue Jays staggered to a 5-3 victory Wednesday in the 12th inning to maintain a 2 1/2-game lead over Boston in the American League East.

After Toronto blew a two-run lead in the 11th, Kelly Gruber and rookie Derek Bell singled home runs in the 12th.

The Blue Jays lost, 6-5, on Monday and 5-4 on Tuesday.

In the 12th inning, Roberto Alomar doubled off Scott Bankhead (2-6) and Joe Carter walked. Gruber drove in Alomar and Bell drove in Carter, who had moved to third.

Duane Ward (7-5) got the victory, getting two outs in the 11th inning, and Jim Acker earned his first save with a perfect 12th.

Greg Myers doubled in two runs in the 11th inning to put the Blue Jays ahead 3-1. But the Mariners tied the score with four consecutive singles.

Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. threw out pinch-runner Rob Ducey at the plate in the top of the ninth after Ducey tried to score from second base on Dave Parker’s pinch-single.

Ducey’s head hit catcher Scott Bradley’s mask and he was taken off field on a stretcher after lying on his back for 10 minutes. Ducey suffered a concussion.

Cleveland 3, Detroit 2--If the Tigers fail in their quest to win the East title, they can point to their inability to win at Cleveland.

The Indians, the worst team in the American League, ended up 6-0 at home against Detroit.

Charles Nagy (10-12) gave up eight hits and struck out eight to win for the fourth time in his past five starts. His only trouble was with Cecil Fielder, who hit a two-run single in the third inning. Fielder leads the majors in runs batted in with 125. He led last season with 132.

It was a tough loss for Bill Gullickson (18-9), who went the distance and gave up six hits. One of the runs was unearned.

Boston 7, Baltimore 5--There was more good news than bad for the Red Sox. First, they learned that outfielder Mike Greenwell, feared lost for the season with a knee injury, might miss only four or five games.

Then, in this game at Boston, slugger Jack Clark continued to emerge from a slump.

Clark hit his 24th home run, went two for two and scored three runs to lead the Red Sox’s 13-hit assault.

The Red Sox have won 12 of 15 games and are keeping the pressure on the Blue Jays in the tightening race.

Cal Ripken Jr. became the fourth shortstop in major league history to hit 30 home runs in a season. Ripken joined Ernie Banks, Rico Petrocelli and Vern Stephens when he hit a drive into the screen on top of the left field wall in the sixth.

Kansas City 10, Minnesota 4--Right fielder Gene Larkin said he deserved the boos of Minneapolis fans when he made the misplay that helped the Royals to a six-run sixth inning.

With the Royals leading by a run and a runner on base, Larkin got a late jump on Todd Benzinger’s looper, then let it bounce over his head for a triple and cost Scott Erickson (18-7) a chance at becoming a 19-game winner.

“I played a brutal game,” Larkin said. “We had battled back to tie and I took us out of it. Of course, they boo.”

Chicago 6, Oakland 0--The White Sox are putting the finishing touches on the end of the Athletics’ domination of the West.

Jack McDowell pitched a five-hitter at Chicago for the White Sox’s second consecutive shutout over the A’s.

With the Twins losing again, the White Sox, who have six games left with the Twins, are six games behind the Twins. The fading Athletics are 10 1/2 behind and have only 16 games remaining.

McDowell (17-9) struck out six and pitched his major league leading 15th complete game. He outpitched Dave Stewart (11-10). Stewart gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

New York 2, Milwaukee 1--Roberto Kelly led off the 10th inning at New York with his second home run of the game to spoil a five-hit performance by Jamie Navarro (13-12).

The Yankees had lost 11 of their last 12 games and they trailed, 1-0, until Kelly homered in the seventh. Steve Farr worked the last two innings to earn the victory.