AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Bell’s Ninth-Inning Hit Lifts White Sox Over Indians

George Bell singled home Ozzie Guillen in the ninth inning, giving the Chicago White Sox a 6-5 victory Sunday at Chicago and a sweep of their three-game series with the Cleveland Indians.

Guillen opened the inning with a bloop single to left against reliever Derek Lilliquist (1-1). Joey Cora sacrificed, and Guillen took third when first baseman Paul Sorrento booted Lance Johnson’s grounder.

After Frank Thomas was walked intentionally, Eric Plunk replaced Lilliquist and Bell singled to center to make a winner of reliever Scott Radinsky (2-0).

Robin Ventura drove in three runs for Chicago, which gained its fourth consecutive victory and 10th in its last 12 and kept the White Sox a half-game ahead of the Angels on top of the American League West.

The loss was Cleveland’s fourth consecutive and sixth in a row on the road.

Kirk McCaskill of the White Sox gave up four runs in six innings.

Cleveland’s Mark Clark, making his first start since April 22, gave up five runs in four innings.

Texas 2, Kansas City 1--Juan Gonzalez hit a two-run homer and Kevin Brown pitched his league-best fourth complete game at Kansas City to lift the Rangers.

Gonzalez’s homer was one of only two hits against David Cone (0-5), who started for the Royals after a 2-hour 39-minute rain delay.

Brown (4-1) lowered his earned-run average to 1.27, best in the majors. He gave up six hits and retired the last 12 batters.

Seattle 6, Minnesota 4--Tino Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. each had home runs and three runs batted in at Seattle as the Mariners continued their early-season power binge.

The Mariners have hit 11 home runs in their last four games and have moved into a tie with Detroit for the most homers in the majors with 36.

Martinez had three hits and put Seattle ahead, 6-4, with a three-run homer against Scott Erickson (1-4) to cap a four-run sixth inning.

Tim Leary (2-1) was the beneficiary of Seattle’s power, although he gave up four runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Baltimore 4, Toronto 3--Damon Buford, who homered earlier, singled in the winning run with two out in the ninth inning at Toronto to lift the Orioles.

Chris Hoiles reached on a one-out walk from Duane Ward and took second on a wild pitch.

Hoiles scored the tying run on a two-out single by Harold Reynolds, who stole second to move into position to score the winner.

Reliever Mark Williamson (1-1) gave up one hit in three innings.

Ward (0-2) gave up two runs and two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

New York 11, Detroit 2--Spike Owen had a three-run homer, drove in four runs and scored three at Detroit, and Bob Wickman won his seventh consecutive decision.

Wickman (4-0), who allowed two runs and 12 hits in eight-plus innings, is 10-1 in his career.

John Doherty (3-2) gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Milwaukee 6, Boston 0--Mike Boddicker gave up four hits in 7 2/3 innings at Milwaukee to lead the Brewers.

Boddicker (2-1) gave up a double to Ernest Riles and infield single to Carlos Quintana in the first. The Red Sox didn’t get another hit until Mike Greenwell’s two-out single during the sixth.

The Brewers scored twice in the third against Joe Hesketh (2-3) to give Boddicker all the support he would need.