AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Brewers Run Past Athletics Again, 10-2

The Milwaukee Brewers are not a typical big-run scoring team. They barely have a home run hitter in double figures.

What they have is Paul Molitor, who apparently will be able to hit as long as he can walk to the plate. With their 35-year-old, 15-year veteran leading the way, the Brewers are scoring runs in bunches.

Molitor homered, doubled and drove in three runs and the Brewers turned a six-run first inning to another romp, 10-2, Wednesday at Oakland. On Tuesday night, Molitor scored four runs and the Brewers battered the Athletics, 10-0.

While going 4-2 on this trip, the Brewers have scored 45 runs. Molitor scored nine of the runs, going 11 for 24 and raising his average to .332.

“We’ve had balance in our lineup from top to bottom,” Molitor said. “Everyone is swinging the bat fairly well and no one or two individuals are feeling the pressure to carry the team offensively. If you go up there relaxed, you’re going to hit the ball a lot better.”

The Brewers hit only 41 home runs in their first 61 games. That put them 11th in the league.

But Greg Vaughn, with his 10th, and Dave Nilsson homered in the six-run first inning off Mike Moore (7-5). Molitor doubled during the rally, in which 10 men batted, and hit a two-run homer in the sixth.

Given the early cushion, Jaime Navarro (7-5) gave up two runs on four hits in seven innings.

Manager Tony La Russa expressed concern about Moore, who is 0-2 in his last three starts with a 15.67 earned-run average.

“He hasn’t been on top of his game for a while,” La Russa said. “Moore has to be a solid starter if we are to win.”

Rickey Henderson, who missed 17 games because of a hamstring injury, walked and scored the Athletics’ first run in the sixth.

Cleveland 3, Baltimore 2--The key to going the distance despite giving up 13 hits is control.

Charles Nagy (9-3) continued his bid for an All-Star spot by winning his fifth in a row, beating Mike Mussina at Cleveland.

Nagy was in a jam in nearly every inning, but seven strikeouts helped him escape. Mussina (8-2) was brilliant except in the sixth inning.

Consecutive doubles by Thomas Howard and Carlos Baerga plus Mussina’s wild pitch led the Indians to three runs.

The Indians turned double plays in the seventh and eighth to hold the one-run lead.

“You’ve almost got to invent things out there sometimes,” Nagy said. “Most of the hits (12) were singles, and I was fortunate to get out of some jams. I’m glad it’s over.”

Toronto 6, Detroit 2--Jack Morris won his fourth in a row and Kelly Gruber came out of his slump to get three hits at Toronto.

The victory gave the Blue Jays a 1 1/2-game lead over Baltimore in the East. It is the first time they have been separated by more than a game since May 1.

Gruber, who was in a 5-for-43 slump, singled and scored in the third and drove in two runs later.

Morris (8-3) gave up both runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Boston 4, New York 3--Ellis Burks hit a two-run home run and Tom Brunansky went four for four at Boston.

Trailing 3-2, the Red Sox scored twice in the sixth to beat Scott Kamieniecki (1-5). A wild pitch brought in one run and Brunansky singled in the winning run.

Frank Viola (7-4) was the benefactor of Brunansky’s hit. He retired the last 11 batters he faced, leaving after eight innings.

Minnesota 4, Kansas City 2--It seems every time the Twins need a hit to win a game, Kirby Puckett is there to provide it.

Puckett singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning at Minneapolis. He also made a running catch with the bases loaded to end the game.

Puckett, the league’s leading hitter (.347), is batting .393 with 36 RBIs--including seven game-winners--in his last 35 games.

Seattle 2, Chicago 1--Edgar Martinez hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning at Seattle to bring the Mariners from behind. Tuesday night they scored six times to wipe out a 6-3 deficit.

Charlie Hough had a 1-0 lead and a two-hitter after seven. But Omar Vizquel doubled, and with two out, Martinez’s drive down the left-field line cleared the fence.