AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Orioles Make Most of A’s Void

The Baltimore Orioles said it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.

They completed a sweep of their three-game series at Oakland Wednesday when Randy Milligan hit a run-scoring double in the 10th inning to give them a 2-1 victory, their fifth in a row.

That put Baltimore within half a game of first place in the American League East.

The Orioles capitalized on a sudden offensive collapse by the Athletics that coincided with the announcement Monday night that slugger Jose Canseco had been traded to the Texas Rangers.

The announcement came in the first inning of the series opener. The Athletics had scored 18 runs in sweeping a three-game weekend series with Cleveland. But, they were shut out Monday, 4-0, on four hits, lost Tuesday night, 5-1, on six hits and had only two hits Wednesday.

“I think it was a good time for us to come in, with Canseco traded, Ruben (Sierra) with the chicken pox and Mark McGwire still on the disabled list,” said Mike Devereaux, whose 22nd home run accounted for the other Oriole run. “We were fortunate to come in now and win. We are in a very tight division race.”

Ben McDonald and Alan Mills (9-3) combined on the two-hitter. Mills held the A’s hitless for the last four innings. The run against McDonald came on Carney Lansford’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.

“There wasn’t anything wrong with our pitching, we’re just not scoring,” Manager Tony La Russa said. “It was a well-pitched series and we pitched almost as well as they did. I don’t like losing. I’m not encouraged, but I’m not upset.”

Chicago 3, Toronto 2--Steve Sax and Ron Karkovice hit home runs for the White Sox at Toronto as the Blue Jays’ Eastern division lead slipped to half a game.

“Maybe it was the wrong pitch,” loser Jimmy Key said of the one that Karkovice hit for the two-run home run, “but at least I put it where I wanted to.”

Greg Hibbard (10-6) got the victory, but it was the brilliance of reliever Roberto Hernandez that made it possible. Hernandez took over with two on and nobody out, gave up only one run, then shut down the Blue Jays in the last two innings for his sixth save.

Minnesota 4, Detroit 2--Shane Mack hit a two-run home run and Scott Erickson maintained his mastery over the Tigers as the Twins won their fourth in a row.

Erickson gave up six hits in six innings at Detroit and is 7-0 lifetime against the Tigers.

The Twins, who started August in first place in the West, had fallen to 7 1/2 behind before sweeping this series to reduce the deficit to 4 1/2 games. “Cutting into the lead like this has got to give us a lift,” Erickson said.

To a degree, Manager Tom Kelly agreed. “We’re playing better. No doubt about that,” he said. “We’re not out of the fire yet, but we’ll take them anyway we can get them.”

Milwaukee 7, New York 0--Robin Yount homered, tripled and drove in four runs at Milwaukee and the Brewers moved within 4 1/2 games of first place in the East.

Yount, who needs only eight hits to reach 3,000, made it easy for Cal Eldred (6-1). Eldred gave up six hits in eight innings and won his fifth in a row.

Yount, batting cleanup for the first time this season, hit his first home run since June 14.

Texas 6, Kansas City 2--There have been rainouts and snow-outs, but this game at Kansas City was almost bugged out.

Kevin Brown (18-8) had more problems with the swarming insects that invaded Royals Stadium in the middle innings than he did with the Royals’ hitters.

Brown pitched a six-hitter, striking out five and walking none, to become the third pitcher in the league to win 18 games.

Boston 5, Seattle 3--Wade Boggs doubled home two runs in a three-run seventh inning at Seattle that brought the Red Sox from behind and gave Roger Clemens (17-8) the seventh victory in his last eight starts.

Although he gave up 10 hits, Clemens went the distance and improved his record against Seattle to 12-5. Tim Leary outpitched Clemens for six innings and led, 2-1, until the seventh, when he was chased.