MAJOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Red Sox Battle Back to Defeat Brewers, 9-8

The Boston Red Sox wasted a 6-0 lead, then came back as Jack Clark’s two-run homer and Tom Brunansky’s run-scoring double sparked a seventh-inning rally and a 9-8 victory over the Brewers Monday night at Milwaukee.

The Red Sox, who ended a four-game losing streak, closed within 3 1/2 games of American League East-leading Toronto.

The Brewers scored four runs in the third--three unearned--and Greg Vaughn hit a three-run homer in the fifth for a 7-6 Milwaukee lead.

Clark rallied the Red Sox with a two-run homer, and Brunansky then doubled in another run for a 9-7 lead.

Minnesota 8, Chicago White Sox 3--After a night of celebrating the clinching of the division title, the Twins turned on the power against the White Sox at Chicago, as Randy Bush, Pedro Munoz and Paul Sorrento hit homers.

Seattle 3-0, Texas 2-2--Jay Buhner homered in the 11th as the Mariners won their club-record 79th game of the season with the split of a doubleheader at Arlington, Tex.

Nolan Ryan pitched six innings for the Rangers in the first game, giving up two runs and five hits and striking out six to go over the 5,500-strikeout mark. He has 5,501.

Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. hit an RBI single in first game for his 100th RBI, becoming the youngest player in 35 years to reach that plateau. In 1956, when Detroit’s Al Kaline was 21 years 9 months, he had 100 RBIs. Griffey is 21 years 10 months.

In the second game, Brian Downing led off the first with his 17th home run--his fifth leading off a game--and Monty Farris led off the fifth with his first major league homer.

New York Yankees 3, Cleveland 0--Scott Sanderson became the Yankees’ first 16-game winner in four years but was forced from the game when a line drive dislocated a finger in the sixth inning at Cleveland.

It was the 17th shutout of the season against the Indians and their major league-leading 101st loss.

Detroit 8, Baltimore 3--Pete Incaviglia, Mickey Tettleton and Lou Whitaker hit two-run homers as the Tigers closed out their home season with a victory.

Kansas City 8, Oakland 4--Mark Davis allowed two hits in six shutout innings, and Kurt Stillwell hit a three-run double in a six-run second as the Royals beat the Athletics at Kansas City.

Pittsburgh 6, New York Mets 5--Jay Bell hit the first grand slam of his career grand in a six-run second that carried the Pirates past the Mets at Pittsburgh. It was the Mets’ second game under interim manager Mike Cubbage, who took over when Bud Harrelson was fired Sunday.

St. Louis 11, Montreal 1--Mark Clark pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief at St. Louis for his first major league victory, and Felix Jose drove in four runs as the Cardinals clinched second place in the NL East. The Cardinals’ second-place finish is their highest since they won the division in 1987.

Philadelphia 6, Chicago Cubs 5--Wally Backman’s sacrifice fly capped a three-run ninth inning rally as the Phillies beat the Cubs at Philadelphia.

Houston 2, San Franisco 0--Chris Gardner pitched six-hit ball over seven innings for his first major league victory as the Astros beat the Giants before 5,379 fans--the smallest crowd in San Francisco since 1988.