AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Oakland’s Eckersley Blows Save, Wins Game

Dennis Eckersley won his fourth game of the season Saturday in the Athletics’ 5-3 victory over Kansas City at Oakland.

He would have preferred another save.

He got the victory after a two-out single by Gregg Jefferies in the top of the ninth inning ended his record string of saves at 40.

Harold Baines hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the streaking Athletics their seventh consecutive victory.

“This must be my year,” Eckersley said. “Excuse me--our year. Even when I do something wrong, it’s all right.”

Eckersley’s streak, which included 36 saves in 36 opportunities this season, reached 40 overall Friday night.

But coming back 18 hours later, the 37-year-old right-hander wasn’t at his best. Before Jefferies delivered the two-run single that put the Royals ahead, Brian McRae missed a two-run home run by inches, settling for a double when his drive hit the top of the wall in left field. It came after a one-out single by Curtis Wilkerson.

Eckersley then struck out Juan Samuel, pinch-hitting in his debut as a Royal.

But Jefferies singled to drive in two runs. It was Eckersley’s first blown save since Sept. 11, 1991. Jefferies’ second hit of the game gave him 21 hits in his last 40 at-bats.

With first base open, A’s Manager Tony LaRussa considered walking the hot Jefferies and pitching to left-handed hitting Wally Joyner.

“It was a tough situation,” LaRussa said. “Either you had Jefferies or Joyner. It was a nice piece of hitting.”

Texas 7, Seattle 3--Jose Guzman held the Mariners to five hits in seven innings at Seattle and the Rangers handed the Mariners their seventh consecutive defeat.

It was the 13th victory in a row at the Kingdome for the Rangers.

Milwaukee 4-1, Minnesota 0-3--Greg Gagne hit a two-run home in the third inning of the second gamebefore 52,434 at Milwaukee, and the Twins’ four-game losing streak ended.

Rookie Cal Eldred held the Twins to three hits in seven innings to win the opener.

Bill Krueger (10-3) went six innings in the second game to win for the first time since July 11.

Boston 4, New York 2--Roger Clemens held the Yankees to four hits in eight innings at New York and improved his record to 13-7. He departed with one out in the ninth inning when Matt Nokes hit his 16th home run.

Jeff Reardon, the second reliever in the ninth, threw one pitch and Charlie Hayes hit it into a game-ending double play.

Detroit 8, Toronto 6--Mickey Tettleton homered in the sixth inning and Lou Whitaker hit a two-run shot in the seventh at Detroit to lead the Tigers.

Despite their second loss in a row, the Blue Jays remained three games ahead of Baltimore in the East.