AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Carter’s Homer Helps Blue Jays Move Into First Place at Last

Joe Carter hit his 17th home run of the season with one out in the top of the ninth inning Saturday night as the Toronto Blue Jays moved into first place for the first time this season by defeating the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2, at Milwaukee.

Carter hit a 1-and-2 pitch from Cal Eldred (9-8) over the left-field fence as the defending World Series champions moved past Detroit atop the American League East.

“I didn’t think it was out,” Carter said. “I thought it was going to be a fly ball out, but I guess I got it to the right part of the field where the wind got a hold of it. It was a good pitch on his part. I was able to muscle it up a little bit.”

Eldred coasted into the eighth inning with a three-hit shutout and 2-0 lead. But Pat Borders singled to left with one out and Turner Ward, batting .182 entering the game, lined his fourth homer to right to pull Toronto even.

“He pitched great, but we stole one from them,” Carter said.

Said Eldred, who gave up seven hits in 8 2/3 innings: “I wasn’t tired. They just hit good pitches.”

Toronto’s Juan Guzman (7-1) gave up six hits, walked five and struck out five in eight innings.

Duane Ward pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save.

Baltimore 12, New York 10--Chris Hoiles hit two home runs and David Segui tied a career high with four runs batted in at Baltimore as the Orioles extended their home winning streak to 11 games and handed Yankee pitcher Bob Wickman his first loss.

Wickman (8-1) gave up 10 hits and seven runs in 4 2/3 innings, ending a streak of victories in 12 consecutive decisions dating to last season. It was only his second loss in 16 decisions and his first since Sept. 14, 1992.

Rookie Jeffrey Hammonds, playing in his second major league game, also homered for the Orioles, who have won 18 of 21 games to move within a game of the third-place Yankees in the American League East.

Hoiles’ two-homer game was his second in five games, and gave him six multi-hit games in a row.

Cleveland 7, Kansas City 4--Albert Belle’s two-run, tie-breaking triple in the eighth inning lifted the Indians at Cleveland.

The Indians won for the fifth time in six games while sending Kansas City to its 10th loss in 15 games. The Royals, losers of two in a row, have not lost three in a row since they opened the season with five consecutive losses.

Jeremy Hernandez (1-1) won despite giving up George Brett’s tying home run in the eighth. It was the first blown save for the Indians in 18 opportunities this season.

Eric Plunk pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Wayne Kirby walked to start the Cleveland eighth against Frank DiPino (1-1), and Carlos Baerga reached base on an infield single. Belle then hit Bill Sampen’s only pitch for a triple.

Boston 13, Detroit 4--John Valentin and Mo Vaughn each drove in four runs at Boston as the Red Sox sent the Tigers to their fifth consecutive defeat.

The Red Sox, who have won a season-high five in a row, trailed, 4-1, before scoring two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and six in the seventh.

Valentin had a run-scoring single in the second, a two-run single in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth. Vaughn had an RBI single in the sixth and a three-run homer in the seventh.

Chicago 7, Seattle 4--Ellis Burks hit a grand slam at Chicago and Jack McDowell became the first 12-game winner in the majors this season.

After a rain delay of 1 hour 44 minutes in the bottom of the seventh inning, Chicago broke a 4-4 tie on a single by Robin Ventura.

Joey Cora led off the seventh with a triple and stayed at third as Burks grounded out. After Frank Thomas was intentionally walked, Dennis Powell relieved Erik Hanson (5-6) and gave up Ventura’s hit after play resumed. Jeff Nelson replaced Powell and George Bell added an RBI single.

McDowell (12-4) won his fifth consecutive start, giving up four runs on 10 hits in seven innings. Roberto Hernandez earned his 13th save.

Texas 10, Oakland 7--Juan Gonzalez had four hits and three RBIs and the Rangers got the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning at Arlington, Tex., as they ended a six-game losing streak.

Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez had one-out singles in the seventh, and after a fielder’s choice, A’s reliever Storm Davis (2-6) walked Dean Palmer on four pitches. Davis then issued a four-pitch walk to Doug Strange to give Texas a 6-5 lead. Mario Diaz and David Hulse added two-run singles.