AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : For Griffey, Record Now Only a Shot Away

Ken Griffey Jr. extended his home run streak to seven games--one shy of the major league record--with a 441-foot grand slam in the Mariners’ 10-8 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night at Seattle.

Griffey’s fifth grand slam of his career came during the Mariners’ seven-run third inning. Seattle, however, needed a run-scoring single by Tino Martinez in the sixth to secure the victory after Minnesota rallied from 7-0 and 8-3 deficits.

Martinez’s single off George Tsamis (1-2) was followed by a run-scoring double by Edgar Martinez off Mike Hartley, giving Seattle its winning margin.

Griffey, 23, tied for the major league home run lead with a career-high 29 and moved within one game of the record streak of eight in a row, set by Pittsburgh’s Dale Long in 1956 and tied by the New York Yankees’ Don Mattingly in 1987.

Griffey is only three home runs shy of Gorman Thomas’ club record, set in 1985, with more than two months to play.

Dave Winfield hit a three-run homer for the Twins, his 16th of the season and the 464th of his career.

Griffey’s homer came on a 1-and-1 pitch from Kevin Tapani. The shot to center field gave Seattle a 5-0 lead, and the Mariners made it 7-0 before the end of the inning, having sent 11 men to the plate.

Milwaukee 3, Boston 2--Jaime Navarro pitched a five-hitter through eight-plus innings for his first victory since June 16 and Robin Yount hit his 250th homer, leading the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Navarro (6-8), who had lost five consecutive decisions and had given up 21 runs in his three previous starts, retired 12 in a row in one stretch in pitching the Brewers to a third consecutive victory for only the second time this season.

Chicago 7, Cleveland 4--Frank Thomas went four for four, hit two home runs and had five runs batted in and Jack McDowell became the first 16-game winner in the major leagues, leading the White Sox at Chicago.

Thomas is 11 for 18 (.611) with four homers and nine RBIs in his last five games.

McDowell (16-6) won his fourth consecutive start, pitching seven innings and giving up four runs on 10 hits, walking two and striking out five.

Toronto 6, Baltimore 5--Pat Borders beat out an infield single in the eighth inning, capping a three-run rally that lifted the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Paul Molitor chased Rick Sutcliffe with a one-out infield single and Joe Carter singled off Mark Williamson. John Olerud greeted Jim Poole (1-1) with a single to load the bases, bringing Gregg Olson on for the Orioles.

Olson fanned Tony Fernandez for the second out, but Ed Sprague lined a two-run double to tie it.

Borders followed with a sharp grounder to shortstop. Cal Ripken went to his left and made a diving stab, but his throw was late.

Duane Ward (2-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the victory.

New York 5, Detroit 2--Danny Tartabull triggered a four-run second inning with a home run and Jim Abbott won for the first time in Detroit in four years.

Abbott (8-8) won his third in a row.

Bill Gullickson (6-6), gave up four runs on four hits in only 1 2/3 innings. He walked three.

Tartabull started the Yankees’ second inning with his 20th homer and ended it by striking out against reliever Tom Bolton.