AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : No-Hitter Not in the Winds for McCaskill

Kirk McCaskill, the former Angel right-hander, had a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings Wednesday and pitched the Chicago White Sox to a 1-0 victory on a cold, windy day at Milwaukee.

The White Sox had picked up an unearned run against Bill Wegman in the first inning, and McCaskill made it stand up.

But McCaskill’s arm stiffened in the biting wind and, with two out in the seventh, Kevin Seitzer singled for the Brewers’ first hit.

McCaskill, who had not won since his first start for the White Sox on April 9, and Bobby Thigpen combined on a two-hitter to improve McCaskill’s record to 2-3. He had the satisfaction of pitching the White Sox into first place in the West.

“Any time there’s a breeze and it’s cool, you tend to stiffen up a little,” he said. “Between innings I did what I could to keep loose. I did stretching in the tunnel and ran up it a couple of times.”

In a career that began in 1985, McCaskill had been mostly a winner. But last season he led the American League in defeats, had a 10-19 record and an earned-run average of 4.26.

The White Sox were willing to take a chance his arm was sound and signed him as a free agent. In his three consecutive losses, he had control problems, but in this one he walked only two in 7 1/3 innings.

Wegman’s error set up the run in the first inning. He muffed Steve Sax’s grounder and Robin Ventura doubled Sax home. Wegman (2-4) went the distance, giving up only six other hits.

New York 12, Seattle 4--A couple of days off restored the zip to Matt Nokes’ bat at New York.

The Yankee catcher was given the rest after failing to get a hit in his previous 17 at-bats with a runner on base.

In the second inning, with the bases loaded, Nokes snapped his slump. He hit the fifth grand slam of his career with his 100th home run.

It triggered a 14-hit attack that made it easy for Scott Sanderson to win his third. Kevin Maas hit a three-run homer for the Yankees.

Toronto 4, Oakland 3--After four flops in a row, Jack Morris gave up only an unearned run in 6 2/3 innings at Toronto to improve to 4-2 with his first victory since April 12.

It was the eighth win in the last 10 games for the Blue Jays. Tom Henke pitched the ninth, surviving Mark McGwire’s major league-leading 16th home run to get his sixth save.

Mike Moore (4-2) gave up all four Blue Jay runs and nine hits.

Baltimore 4, Texas 2--After Kevin Brown’s first seven pitches at Arlington, Tex., Sam Horn had a two-run home run and the sizzling Orioles had four runs.

Rick Sutcliffe (5-2), with help from Mike Flanagan and bullpen ace Gregg Olson, made it stand up.

Brown settled down after the rocky start to pitch well, but the Rangers couldn’t get him even.

It was the Orioles’ 11th victory in the last 14 games and kept them one game behind Toronto in the East.

In his first appearance at Arlington Stadium since 1984, Sutcliffe gave up home runs to Rafael Palmeiro and Ruben Sierra, but only five other hits in seven innings.

Kansas City 5, Cleveland 3--Curtis Wilkerson hit a three-run home run at Kansas City and Kevin Appier won his third consecutive start for the Royals.

Wilkerson, filling in for injured second baseman Keith Miller, tagged Dennis Cook in the second inning for his first home run of the season.

Appier (3-2) gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings. It was the first time in eight starts he had given up more than two earned runs. It raised his ERA to 1.70.

Minnesota 4, Boston 3--Shane Mack broke an 0-for-12 slump with a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning at Minneapolis to give the Twins their fifth victory in a row.

“I almost pinch-hit for him. That would have looked real smart,” Minnesota Manager Tom Kelly said. “I just decided he deserved a chance. What’s one more at-bat when you’re 0 for 12? He certainly came through. That was the hardest ball we hit that inning.”

The Twins missed taking the lead in the eighth when Chili Davis was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on Brian Harper’s double.

Wade Boggs drove in the Red Sox’s first two runs with a double and a single, and Tom Brunansky hit his first home run of the season to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.