AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Fielder, Gibson Homer Twice to Lift Tigers

Cecil Fielder and Kirk Gibson each hit two home runs, and the Detroit Tigers reached double figures in runs for the seventh time this season in defeating the Toronto Blue Jays, 13-8, Wednesday night at Toronto.

Tony Phillips also homered and drove in five runs as the Tigers, winning their third game in a row, sent Toronto to its fourth consecutive loss. It was the seventh time this season the Blue Jays have given up at least 10 runs.

The five home runs gave the Tigers 41, tops in the major leagues. Surprisingly, they didn’t have any among their 14 hits Tuesday during a 12-7 victory over the Blue Jays.

Fielder’s two-run shot in the first, his fourth homer of the season, and Phillips’ three-run shot in the second gave Detroit a 5-0 lead. After Toronto closed the gap to 5-2 in the bottom of the inning, Fielder and Gibson hit consecutive home runs to open the third.

It was the 17th multi-homer game of Fielder’s career and the 12th for Gibson.

Bill Krueger (3-1) worked 3 1/3 innings in relief of starter Mike Moore to earn the victory. He gave up three hits and struck out two. Mike Henneman pitched the final two innings for his seventh save.

Moore lasted only 2 1/3 innings, giving up five runs and five hits. He walked three and struck out one. Loser Pat Hentgen (4-2) fared even worse, giving up seven runs and eight hits--including all four home runs--in three innings.

Boston 2, Baltimore 0--Danny Darwin and two relievers combined on a two-hitter at Baltimore as the Orioles, 4-0 losers against Roger Clemens on Tuesday night, were shut out in successive games for the first time in 10 years.

Darwin (3-4) retired 21 of the first 22 batters he faced, giving up only a fourth-inning single to David Segui. He ran into trouble in the eighth, walking Leo Gomez and giving up a two-out double to Segui, but Greg Harris came in and struck out Harold Reynolds.

Jeff Russell pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Scott Fletcher opened the game with a homer off Fernando Valenzuela (0-3), and Boston made it 2-0 in the third when Ivan Calderon laid down a two-out squeeze bunt that hugged the third base line and scored Luis Rivera.

Chicago 6, Seattle 5--Wilson Alvarez remained unbeaten and his Chicago teammates continued their recent power surge with three home runs at Seattle.

The White Sox, who lead the American League West, have won six of seven and 12 of 15. Chicago had 10 homers in its three-game series against the Mariners.

Alvarez (4-0) has won four consecutive starts for the first time in his career. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings, walked five and struck out two.

Ellis Burks hit a three-run homer, Robin Ventura hit a two-run homer and Craig Grebeck added a solo shot as the White Sox took a 6-0 lead. John Cummings (0-6) was tagged for five runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 2--Carlos Baerga, mired in a two-week slump, hit a two-run single to cap a five-run second inning at Cleveland as the Indians ended a five-game losing streak.

The Indians struck for six runs in the first two innings against Mark Gardner (2-2), who was pitching for the first time since being hit on his pitching hand by a ball hit by Detroit’s Tony Phillips eight days earlier.

Winning pitcher Jose Mesa (3-2) bounced back from a bad outing, giving up two runs, one of them unearned, and 10 hits in his first complete game of the year.

Milwaukee 4, New York 1--Bill Wegman and two relievers combined on a five-hitter and B.J. Surhoff stole home for the Brewers at New York.

Wegman (3-5) struck out three and walked three in eight-plus innings and outpitched Jimmy Key (3-1), who entered the game with an earned-run average of 1.34, the second lowest among American League starters. Wegman left after Don Mattingly walked and Danny Tartabull doubled to start the ninth.

Jesse Orosco retired two pinch-hitters and Doug Henry picked up his seventh save by getting the last out.

Oakland 8, Texas 7--A ninth-inning double by Brent Gates scored Troy Neel with the winning run at Oakland, capping a two-run inning by the Athletics.

The Rangers had gone ahead, 7-6, in the top of the ninth when Juan Gonzalez hit a two-run home run off reliever Dennis Eckersley.