AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McGwire Does It All as Athletics Beat Abbott

Mark McGwire hit a pair of two-run home runs, went four for four and made three diving stops at first base Monday night, leading the Oakland Athletics over Jim Abbott and the Yankees, 4-2, at New York.

Bob Welch (3-2) pitched the Athletics to only their second road victory in eight tries. They won for only the third time in 10 games overall, but lost left fielder Rickey Henderson because of a bruised right shoulder.

McGwire hit a two-run homer in the first inning against Abbott (1-5), then singled twice before hitting his fifth homer in the eighth against Scott Kamieniecki for a 4-1 lead.

Dennis Eckersley pitched the ninth for his third save. It was his first save since he blew a career-worst three save chances in a row, two to the Yankees two weeks ago.

“All we have to do is get him out there,” A’s Manager Tony La Russa said. “There’s nothing wrong with the way he’s throwing the ball. We just have to get him opportunities.”

Abbott, bothered by a blister on his thumb, lost his fourth consecutive start. The Yankees haven’t helped him much, giving him only 13 runs in six starts.

“You just try to focus on the things you can take control of,” Abbott said. “I think we win just about every night I don’t pitch.”

Seattle 2, Boston 0--Erik Hanson extended his scoreless streak to 22 1/3 innings, leading the Mariners at Fenway Park.

Seattle ended a three-game slide and ended Boston’s four-game winning streak. The Red Sox are 9-2 at home, tying their best start, accomplished seven other times.

Hanson (4-0) worked 6 2/3 innings and hasn’t given up a run in three starts.

The Mariners scored in the first against Frank Viola (4-2) when Ken Griffey Jr. walked and Jay Buhner hit a ground-rule double. The umpires ruled that Griffey would have scored if the ball hadn’t been touched by a fan leaning over the right-field fence.

Viola sprained his right ankle on a hit by Rich Amaral when he stepped on first base catching Mo Vaughn’s late throw.

Viola’s status was listed as day to day.

Texas 9, Milwaukee 2--Rafael Palmeiro, hitting .202 going into the game, homered twice and drove in four runs, and Julio Franco went five for five with a two-run homer to lift the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

Texas’ 14-hit attack backed Kevin Brown (3-1), who threw a six-hitter with eight strikeouts.

Brewer starter Cal Eldred (3-3), who pitched a one-hit shutout in his previous start against Texas, gave up six runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.