AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Blue Jays’ Guzman Wins No. 10

Juan Guzman, already 20-4 in his career, says his best lies ahead.

“I know I’m getting better,” Guzman said Friday night after giving up only two infield hits by Alex Cole in eight scoreless innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Indians, 6-1, at Cleveland. “My control’s better. My slider’s better.”

The 25-year-old right-hander won his fourth consecutive start to improve to 10-1 and lower his ERA to 2.13. He struck out six and walked none.

Guzman was headed for his first career shutout until his back stiffened, forcing Manager Cito Gaston to replace him. In two career starts at Cleveland, Guzman has pitched 15 scoreless innings and surrendered four hits.

“I’ll get it someday, because I keep getting better,” he said of the shutout. “I’m going to keep working.”

Kelly Gruber returned to the Blue Jay starting lineup after sitting out five games because of a sore right shoulder.

Chicago 2, New York 1--Robin Ventura hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to give the White Sox the victory at New York.

Tim Leary, making his first start since the Baltimore Orioles accused him of scuffing the ball in his previous start, held Chicago to one run and three hits in seven innings. He worked gave up a personal-worst eight walks, struck out four and at no time did anything to prompt the White Sox or the umpires to examine him.

Winning pitcher Kirk McCaskill (5-6) pitched even better, limiting the Yankees to one run and three hits in eight innings. He walked none and struck out six.

“Not at any time was anything spoken about, brought up, discussed or anything of that nature by either the White Sox or the Yankees,” crew chief Dave Phillips said. “The entire week we were in communication with the league about it, that’s part of the job in a situation like this. But not a word was spoken about it during the game.”

Phillips’ crew was the one in Baltimore last Sunday night when the Orioles made their claim after Leary was apparently caught by television replays putting something--some suspected sandpaper--in his mouth.

Baltimore 6, Kansas City 5--The Orioles used clutch hitting by Mike Devereaux to rally from a four-run deficit at Baltimore.

Devereaux had three hits, including a fourth-inning single to ignite a three-run rally. Then, his two-run single during the sixth inning broke a 4-4 tie.

Jeff Tackett homered for Baltimore and reliever Todd Frohwirth (2-0) faced the minimum 11 batters in relief of starter Ben McDonald. McDonald gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Gregg Olson gave up a run during the ninth when Mike Macfarlane tripled and scored on a double-play grounder by Brent Mayne, but got the final out for his 20th save.

Detroit 4, Texas 2--Tony Phillips had three hits, including a homer, and Bill Gullickson, showing no ill effects from being hit on the right shin Sunday, won at Detroit.

Gullickson (9-4) gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three in seven innings. Kurt Knudsen pitched the eighth and Mike Henneman finished for his 12th save despite giving up a homer to Juan Gonzalez.

It was Gonzalez’s 18th home run of the season and 11th in June, breaking the Rangers’ record for most homers in a month. It was formerly held by Dave Hostetler and Mike Hargrove.

Boston 8, Milwaukee 4--Jody Reed ended a one-for-23 slump with a two-run double and the Red Sox halted a seven-game losing streak at Boston.

Reed’s hit was part of a five-run fifth-inning outburst that featured four consecutive doubles by the Red Sox. It was Boston’s biggest inning of the season.

The eight runs marked the Red Sox’s second-highest total of the season, topped only by the 10 they scored May 10 at Kansas City. Everyone in Boston’s starting lineup got at least one hit.

Dopson, who sat out last season after elbow surgery, gave up seven hits in six innings before leaving because of a stiff back. He entered the game with 15 consecutive scoreless innings at Fenway Park and extended the streak to 20 before giving up a run in the sixth. He is 3-1 with a 1.55 ERA at home.

Minnesota 4, Oakland 3--Greg Gagne’s solo home run during the ninth inning lifted the Twins to victory over the Athletics at Oakland. Harold Baines hit a two-run homer for Oakland.