AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Orioles Lose Game, Might Lose Mussina

The Baltimore Orioles lost a game in the tight American League East race, and they may have lost their best pitcher.

Mike Mussina (14-6) was pounded for six runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night at Boston. Afterward, he complained of soreness in his back and shoulder.

“My pitching’s bad right now. My back’s sore and my shoulder’s sore,” said Mussina, who was on the disabled list from July 22-Aug. 20 with a strained muscle in his right shoulder. “I’m compensating for one and making the other worse.”

The Orioles fell three games behind Toronto, which won, 14-8, at Detroit. Baltimore is in third place, half a game behind New York. The Orioles began the evening with second place within their grasp, knowing the Yankees had lost, 15-5, in the afternoon at Milwaukee.

Mussina, who walked four, will have his shoulder examined today.

“I try to throw the ball correctly and my shoulder bites me,” he said. “By not throwing correctly, I obviously don’t know where the ball’s going.”

Roger Clemens struggled to his first home victory in eight weeks for Boston, which won at Fenway Park for only the third time in 13 games. Tim Naehring drove in three runs with a pair of doubles for the Red Sox.

Clemens (11-13) lasted only five innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks. It was the first time in his career that Clemens had won a game when pitching less than six innings.

Toronto 14, Detroit 8--The Blue Jays won their fifth consecutive game and increased their East lead to 2 1/2 games as Paul Molitor drove in four runs at Detroit.

Molitor had a run-scoring double and a two-run homer, his 21st, and Tony Fernandez went four for four.

Toronto starter Todd Stottlemyre (10-10) gave up three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings. Duane Ward got the last four outs for his 40th save.

Milwaukee 15, New York 5--Teddy Higuera won his first game in more than two years when he held the Yankees to four hits in five shutout innings at Milwaukee.

The Brewers had 16 hits and matched a club record with 15 walks, three with the bases loaded.

Higuera (1-3), who underwent rotator cuff surgery in August, 1991, walked three and struck out seven to win his first game since June 23, 1991.

Chicago 10, Kansas City 6--Lance Johnson singled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs in the 11th inning at Kansas City as the White Sox won to maintain a 3 1/2-game lead in the West.

Tim Raines doubled home two more runs as the White Sox batted around against Mark Gubicza (4-7). The Royals fell seven games behind after dropping two of three to the White Sox.

Chicago reliever Roberto Hernandez (2-4) got the victory.

Texas 7, Cleveland 4--Third baseman Jim Thome’s throwing error on a sacrifice bunt opened the door for four seventh-inning runs as the Rangers rallied to beat the Indians at Arlington, Tex.

With the score tied, 3-3 in the seventh, David Hulse led off with a single and Doug Dascenzo bunted for a hit. Then, Butch Davis put down a bunt which Thome threw past first, allowing Hulse to score.

Oakland 15, Minnesota 2--Dave Winfield singled for his 2,998th hit, but the Twins were routed by the Athletics at Minneapolis.

Winfield, trying to become the 19th player in baseball to get 3,000 hits, has only 18 hits in his last 110 at-bats. He was robbed of a second-inning single on a diving stop by second baseman Brent Gates.

His single to left-center off Todd Van Poppel (5-5) in the fourth moved him past Mel Ott into 11th place in total bases with 5,042.