AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McDowell Handed His First Defeat, 7-2

The Baltimore Orioles showed no respect for baseball’s hottest pitcher Saturday night at Chicago.

Catcher Chris Hoiles hit a two-run home run and a triple as the Orioles defeated pitcher Jack McDowell and the White Sox, 7-2.

McDowell, who won his first seven starts, went at least six innings in each and never gave up more than four runs in a game, lasted three innings.

Before his departure, McDowell gave up five runs and eight hits, including Hoiles’ eighth home run.

“My location on the fastball wasn’t real good. I was over the plate a lot and they jumped all over it,” said McDowell, who held the Orioles to four hits in eight innings last week.

McDowell wasn’t really perturbed when the Orioles scored three runs in the first. After all, in his seven victories, the White Sox scored 58 runs.

But Bob Milacki (3-2), after giving up a 466-foot home run to Frank Thomas that cut his lead to 5-2, shut down the White Sox. Mike Flanagan pitched the ninth after Milacki gave up seven hits in eight innings.

Hoiles’ first inning home run was the first yielded by White Sox pitchers in 95 innings.

The Orioles, who have won 13 of their last 16 games, lead the American League East by half a game. They knocked the White Sox, who have only five runs in their last four games, out of first in the West.

There is no surprise why the Orioles (24-11) have the best record in the league. Their pitching staff leads the league with a 2.90 earned-run average. The four starters are 18-4.

“I like our pitching staff,” Manager John Oates said.

He also likes his catcher. Hoiles, who is hitting .333, has eight home runs and 20 runs batted in.

Milwaukee 5, Texas 4--Nolan Ryan still hasn’t won a game this season, but the 45-year-old right-hander is getting close.

In his sharpest performance, Ryan gave up a run and six hits in six innings at Milwaukee and departed with a 4-1 lead. But the Rangers’ bullpen couldn’t hold it and rookie shortstop Pat Listach capped a two-run rally in the ninth off Kenny Rogers (0-1) with a single though the drawn-in infield to drive in the winning run.

Listach, playing in place of injured Bill Spiers, was two for five, drove in two runs and raised his average to .333.

Ryan, who has won 314 games, wasn’t too upset.

“I feel each time I’m getting better,” he said after his fifth start. “I’m progressing. There were some weird plays out there. Eventually, I’ll get there.”

Ryan has pitched six innings in each of his last two starts and has 15 strikeouts in 12 innings.

Oakland 6, New York 3--There is a lot more to Mark McGwire’s comeback than hitting home runs.

McGwire doubled home two runs to spark a five-run fifth inning rally that helped Ron Darling get his third victory in five decisions.

Last season the big first baseman batted only .201, hit 22 home runs and drove in 75 runs. It was the worst of the former USC slugger’s five seasons.

This season, he is batting .317 with 16 home runs and 33 RBIs.

Jose Canseco followed McGwire in the fifth with a two-run single.

Dennis Eckersley gave up two hits in the ninth but struck out two and earned his 15th save.

Seattle 7, Toronto 6--Ken Griffey Jr. listens to his parents. Before the game at Toronto, they told him to have more patience at the plate.

In the seventh inning with the Blue Jays leading, 5-4, Griffey waited for a 3-and-1 pitch from David Wells and hit it for a three-run home run that put the Mariners in front to stay.

“My father and I talked about my patience, my mother said I haven’t been taking enough pitches,” Griffey said. “I only swung the bat once and we had three runs.”

Minnesota 8, Cleveland 6--While John Smiley slowly recovers from an elbow problem, the Twins are making it easier for him.

The Twins, shut out Friday night, scored eight runs in the first four innings at Cleveland and helped the left-hander, who won 20 games for Pittsburgh last season, improve to 3-2.

Smiley gave up 11 hits and five runs before needing help in the eighth inning.

Detroit 7, Kansas City 2--Suddenly, Sparky Anderson’s need for starting pitching isn’t so acute.

Scott Aldred (1-3), winless in eight previous starts with an ERA of 7.48, gave up five hits in 5 2/3 innings at Kansas City.

Tom Gordon (0-5) sprained his thumb while fielding a bunt and had to leave in the third inning.