AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Ripken, Orioles Have Big Night, 16-4

Cal Ripken Jr.’s three-run homer capped a six-run Baltimore fourth inning, and the Orioles added five more runs in the fifth to win their ninth consecutive game, defeating the Red Sox, 16-4, Friday night at Boston.

Ripken, who had five runs batted in, also had a run-scoring single and run-scoring double off the left-field wall. The Orioles had a season-high 16 hits, including seven doubles, and extended the longest winning streak in the American League this season.

“It’s been a pretty big struggle most of the year; it’s just nice to get a few hits,” said Ripken, who raised his batting average eight points to .223. “It’s nice to knock in a few runs.”

Mike Mussina (9-2) joined Jack McDowell as the only nine-game winners in the major leagues. He has won 16 of his last 18 decisions, including six consecutively on the road.

The loss was the sixth in a row for Boston and its ninth in 10 games.

Detroit 6, Toronto 1--Bill Gullickson pitched his first complete game of the season and Lou Whitaker continued his hot hitting to lift the Tigers over the Blue Jays at Detroit, increasing their lead atop the American League East to three games.

Gullickson (4-2) gave up six hits and a walk and struck out three in pitching his first complete game since Aug. 7.

Minnesota 11, Oakland 8--Shane Mack’s fourth hit of the game, a three-run homer in the seventh inning, completed Minnesota’s second comeback of the night at Minneapolis.

Mack, mired in a season-long slump, hit his third homer of the season against reliever Edwin Nunez (1-3) as the Twins struck for five runs in the seventh.

Mike Trombley (3-3), Minnesota’s third pitcher of the night, picked up the victory, and Rick Aguilera pitched the ninth for his 19th save.

Chicago 6, Kansas City 1--Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura each hit his 11th home run of the season and Jack McDowell won his ninth game to lead the White Sox over the Royals at Kansas City.

Thomas homered leading off the third and Ventura homered leading off the fifth against David Cone (3-7), who gave up one run in each of the first five innings in his shortest outing of the year.

McDowell (9-4) went seven innings, giving up a run on eight hits.

New York 5, Milwaukee 4--Kevin Maas pinch-hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Yankees over the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Mike Stanley opened the ninth with a single against starter Jamie Navarro. Maas, batting for Spike Owen, hit a homer to right, his ninth of the season, against reliever Doug Henry.

Cleveland 8, Texas 3--Carlos Baerga drove in four runs and the Indians took advantage of Kevin Brown’s wildness during a five-run fourth inning at Arlington, Tex.

Baerga hit a two-run homer in the sixth and knocked in two more runs with a single and a groundout to lead the Indians to their fourth win in five games. Baerga extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.

Jose Canseco, in the lineup after missing eight consecutive starts due to a stiff lower back and strained muscle in his right forearm, hit a bases-empty homer in the first, his ninth of the year. It broke an 0-for-17 slump that included eight strikeouts.