AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Palmeiro Finishes His July RBI Blitz

Rafael Palmeiro got hot when July began and he never cooled off.

Palmeiro capped the best-hitting month in Ranger history by driving in three runs with a homer and two doubles as Texas defeated the Oakland Athletics, 8-2, Saturday at Oakland.

“I’ve had a good month. This is the best month I’ve ever had,” Palmeiro said. “But it’s over, and now I have to start a new month.”

Palmeiro’s home run was his 11th of the month, and the three runs batted in gave him 35 for July. His .426 (46 for 108) average is a club record for any month and he set a club record for most RBIs in July. Larry Parrish drove in 35 runs in May, 1987.

“He’s stepped forward in July, that’s for sure,” Texas Manager Kevin Kennedy said.

Palmeiro’s production has helped keep Texas in contention despite a rash of injuries. Jose Canseco is out for the season and catcher Ivan Rodriguez has a fractured cheekbone, though he could be back by the middle of the week. David Hulse went on the disabled list Tuesday because of a sore left hamstring.

Baltimore 4, Boston 0--Ben McDonald pitched three-hit ball over 7 1/3 innings, and the Orioles ended a four-game losing streak by beating Roger Clemens at Baltimore.

David Segui had three hits and drove in a run for the Orioles, who remained four games out of first place in the American League East. Boston, which had won three in a row and 13 of 15, dropped 1 1/2 games out of first.

McDonald (8-9) walked three and struck out eight, including the first four batters he faced. Only one runner got past second base against McDonald before he was replaced by Mark Williamson, who got the last two outs in the eighth.

New York 5, Milwaukee 4--Mike Gallego’s single over a drawn-in infield with none out in the ninth drove in Spike Owen for the winning run to lift the Yankees at New York.

Owen led off the ninth with a triple against Graeme Lloyd (3-2). Doug Henry relieved Lloyd and walked Pat Kelly before giving up Gallego’s game-winning hit.

New York won its fourth game in a row and ninth in the last 12; the Brewers have lost four in a row.

Bob Wickman (10-3), the fourth Yankee pitcher, was the winner with 1 2/3 innings of two-hit relief.

B.J. Surhoff’s two-run single in the eighth enabled the Brewers to tie the score, completing a rally from a 4-0 deficit after two innings.

Toronto 3, Detroit 1--Randy Knorr hit a run-scoring triple and Roberto Alomar and Paul Molitor added run-scoring doubles in the seventh inning to lead the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Darnell Coles led off the seventh with a single and pinch-runner Willie Canate scored on Knorr’s first career triple, a line drive to center that bounced over a charging Milt Cuyler to tie it, 1-1.

Two outs later, Alomar and Molitor hit back-to-back doubles to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 4--Alvaro Espinoza’s double capped a four-run fourth inning and boosted the Indians at Kansas City, ending their four-game losing streak.

Chris Haney (7-3) retired the first nine hitters but watched the Indians bat around in the fourth for their first road victory in nine games. Tom Kramer (4-2), without a decision in his previous four starts, went 6 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and three runs. He struck out two and had no walks and was relieved in the seventh by Jerry DiPoto.

Chicago 13, Seattle 10--Bo Jackson hit a 472-foot home run over the center-field fence--the longest homer hit in the Kingdome this season--and the White Sox won at Seattle.

Chicago registered its fifth victory in a row to go 12 games over .500 for the first time this season.

Joey Cora of the White Sox had a career-high four RBIs, going three for five.

Frank Thomas also homered for the White Sox, his 27th.