AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Indians Take Advantage of Call, 3-1

The New York Yankees were angry Monday after what appeared to be a routine double play instead resulted in double jeopardy and a 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians at New York.

The Yankees thought they had turned an inning-ending double play in the first inning on a bases-loaded ground ball hit by Paul Sorrento. Shortstop Randy Velarde took a throw from second baseman Andy Stankiewicz, then stepped on second base and threw to first baseman Don Mattingly.

Sorrento was called out at first. The Yankees were so certain they turned the double play that Mattingly rolled the ball back toward the mound and third baseman Charlie Hayes and pitcher Melido Perez ran to the dugout.

“I was already sitting on the bench,” said Perez (1-2).

Umpire Tim Tschida, however, ruled that Velarde missed the bag.

“It looked good, but when I saw the play, he was behind the base,” umpire Tim Tschida said. “He never did touch the base.”

Meanwhile, the Indians were running around the bases. With the ball lying by the mound and no bases covered, Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga scored. Albert Belle took third and scored on Sandy Alomar’s single.

“I’ve never seen a call like that,” said the Yankees’ Kevin Maas. “It was as routine as getting up in the morning.”

Scott Scudder (1-1) and four relievers gave up five hits. Steve Olin got the last out for his second save.

Matt Nokes homered for the Yankees.

Baltimore 12, Detroit 4--Mike Devereaux had three hits, including a triple and a two-run homer, as the Orioles completed a four-game sweep at Baltimore.

Alan Trammell, Cecil Fielder and Mickey Tettleton hit successive homers for Detroit in the third, the first Tiger trio to homer consecutively since Aug. 7, 1990.

Detroit’s 3-11 start is the Tigers’ worst since 1959 when they started 2-12. It was the first time the Tigers lost four consecutive games in Baltimore since 1977.

Alan Mills (1-0) pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief of Ben McDonald for the victory. Todd Frohwirth pitched three innings for his first save.

Toronto 6, Boston 4--Roberto Alomar grounded a bad-hop double off shortstop Tim Naehring’s glove with two out in the 13th inning to drive in the go-ahead run at Boston.

Alfredo Griffin scored from second on the play. Joe Carter, who has hit in 13 consecutive games, hit a single that scored Alomar with an insurance run.

Bob McDonald (1-0), the third Toronto pitcher, shut out the Red Sox on one hit for four innings and kept his perfect earned-run average through five appearances.

Seattle 2, Minnesota 0--Randy Johnson, pitching for the first time in nine days, threw his second consecutive four-hit shutout to give the Mariners the victory at Seattle.

Johnson (2-0), who missed a start last week because of stiffness behind his left shoulder, struck out 10 and walked two as Seattle handed the Twins their seventh loss in eight games.

It was Johnson’s fifth shutout and 17th game with 10 or more strikeouts in his career.