AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Blue Jays Beat Athletics, Increase Lead to 1 1/2

Paul Molitor’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 3-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night and a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place New York in the Eastern Division.

It was the Blue Jays’ thrid straight victory after opening their West Coast trip 0-3 at Seattle.

Dennis Eckersley (2-2) gave up a leadoff single in the 10th to Roberto Alomar and was replaced by Rick Honeycutt. Joe Carter followed with a single, moving Alomar to second. After John Olerud struck out, Alomar stole third and Molitor hit a fly ball to center field.

The victory went to Danny Cox (7-6), the fifth of six Toronto pitchers. Duane Ward got the final three outs for his 38th save but not without some trouble.

The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th with two singles and a walk against Ward. But Brent Gates ended the game with a fly ball to center field.

Chicago 11, New York 3--Frank Thomas hit the 100th homer of his career and Tim Raines homered from both sides of the plate, driving in four runs, as the first-place Chicago White Sox routed the Yankees at New York.

Chicago has won four straight games and maintained a 5 1/2-game lead over Texas in the West.

Thomas gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead when he hit his 37th homer of the season after a single by Joey Cora in the first inning against rookie Sterling Hitchcock (1-1).

Wilson Alvarez (10-8) gave up three runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. Jose DeLeon got the last out in the eighth and Scott Radinsky pitched the ninth.

Texas 8, Boston 1--Juan Gonzalez took the major league lead with his 40th homer and Kenny Rogers won his sixth straight start as the Rangers beat the Red Sox at Boston.

Rogers (14-7) allowed six hits in his third complete game and tied Ferguson Jenkins’ team record, set in August of 1974, of six victories in a month. He is 10-2 since June 17 and is the league’s winningest left-hander since July 6 with nine victories. Roger Clemens (10-11) lost his first start since breaking a four-game losing streak with a combined shutout Friday night. He allowed six runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Gonzalez became the second American Leaguer in 23 years to hit at least 40 in consecutive seasons. Detroit’s Cecil Fielder did it in 1990 and 1991.

Kansas City 6, Milwaukee 5--Gary Gaetti and Hubie Brooks each hit two-run homers as the Royals beat the Brewers at Milwaukee. The Royals remained six games behind first-place Chicago.

Seattle 5, Detroit 4--Dave Valle and Dave Magadan delivered RBI singles in the eighth inning as the Mariners rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Tigers at Seattle.