AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : A’s Lack of Offense Brings Another Loss

Not only did the trade to the Texas Rangers surprise Jose Canseco, but it apparently has contributed to the Oakland Athletics recent lack of offense.

John Valentin went three for three with two doubles and drove in two runs Saturday at Oakland and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Athletics, 7-3.

Since Monday, when they sent Canseco to the Rangers for pitchers Bobby Witt and Jeff Russell and outfielder Ruben Sierra, the A’s are 0-5 and have scored only seven runs.

The other half of the A’s one-two punch, Mark McGwire, is still on the disabled list and Sierra, suffering from chicken pox, is not ready to play.

Sierra may not play for a week and the return of McGwire, who has a rib cage injury, is indefinite.

“We won’t rush Mark back no matter what kind of streak we’re on,” Manager Tony La Russa said. “He won’t play until he’s completely ready.

“We’ve just got to treat it like Jose’s gone on the disabled list. We got a real good player in Ruben. He’ll help.”

For John Dopson (7-7), a pitcher who had been hit hard in nine consecutive starts, the light-hitting A’s were a welcome sight. He gave up two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings to win for the first time since July 11.

In the five games without Canseco the A’s are batting .176. Their lineup gave Dopson confidence.

“Any time those two guys (Canseco and McGwire) are up with a couple of guys on, it’s a different ballgame,” he said. “They scare you.”

Toronto 7, Minnesota 3--Fortunately for the A’s, the Twins are also in a slump. They lost their second in a row at Toronto and remained 4 1/2 games out of first place in the West.

The Blue Jays, who had a record-tying 10 consecutive hits in the second inning on their way to a 16-5 victory Friday night, put together five consecutive singles in a four-run fourth.

The big inning led to their seventh win in the last 10 games and kept them on top in the East.

Joe Carter’s run-scoring single gave him 100 runs batted in for the sixth time in seven years.

“I feel I can get 100 RBIs every year,” Carter said. “Some people take it for granted, but I work at it.”

Juan Guzman (13-3), being brought back slowly from his shoulder injury, went five innings, giving up five hits and striking out nine.

Texas 7, New York 3--Jose Canseco, hitless in four at-bats in his Ranger debut, contributed to the victory with his first hit, a run-scoring double in the ninth during a five-run rally at New York.

“It kind of breaks the ice,” said Canseco. “But it’s just one hit. I’m feeling better and better.”

Rafael Palmeiro, who played on the same youth team in Miami as Canseco, doubled home two runs in the fifth and hit a two-run home run in the ninth.

Milwaukee 10, Detroit 3--While closing in on 3,000 hits, Robin Yount is also doing his part to keep the Brewers in the East race.

Yount had a home run and a single at Detroit and has 2,995 hits.

Yount and Franklin Stubbs hit consecutive home runs in the first inning and the Tigers lost their sixth game in a row.

It was only the second win six starts for Bill Wegman (12-12), who hurt his back and had to leave after five innings.

Greg Vaughn hit a three-run homer in the fifth to give Milwaukee an 8-2 lead.

The Brewers, 4 1/2 games behind Toronto, have won three in a row.

Chicago 12, Kansas City 6--George Bell had four hits at Kansas City and the White Sox romped to their fourth win in a row in a game shortened to eight innings because of rain.

Charlie Hough was chased after 2 1/3 innings, but Wilson Alvarez (4-3) gave up just one run and two hits in five innings.

Cleveland 5, Seattle 4--U.S. Air Force jets performing maneuvers at an air show picked the perfect time to fly over Cleveland Municipal Stadium and were given an assist for the Indians’ victory.

Four of them distracted the Mariners’ Randy Johnson during a four-run fifth inning and another formation of four jets streaked over the park just before Albert Belle singled home the winning run in the ninth.