AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : A Different Reardon, but Results the Same

The beard is gone, and Sunday the knuckleball disappeared, too. Yet there was no mistaking Jeff Reardon.

Reardon pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save and the New York Yankees defeated the Tigers, 8-6, at Detroit.

“I always go right after hitters,” Reardon said.

Right. But he’s not accustomed to having someone else warming up in the bullpen while he is pitching. This time, the Yankees had Steve Howe getting ready. That means Reardon isn’t “the man” anymore, and he knows it.

“I got pumped up when (Yankee Manager) Buck (Showalter) told me I had the ninth inning,” said Reardon, who the Yankees signed just before spring training to bolster their suspect bullpen. “In years past, I knew that was automatic.”

Yet he’s not complaining. He has 367 major league saves, and at 38 he knows the years are catching up with him.

“Now, there is no margin for error,” Reardon said. “I knew Steve Howe was down there. Before, when I went out there, I was either going to win it or lose it. But maybe that will help us. Who knows?

“I want to be out there. He wants to be out there. That’s not all bad. It certainly is good for this ballclub.”

Bernie Williams ignited the four-run eighth with a sacrifice fly and Luis Polonia singled in two runs in the rally that enabled the Yankees to win two of three games from the Tigers, concluding a .500 trip.

Oakland 5, Minnesota 1--Ron Darling, coming off two shaky starts, limited the Twins to three hits in eight innings at Oakland and Mark McGwire homered for the third consecutive game.

Darling (2-1) had given up nine runs in nine innings in his two previous outings before putting it together against the Twins. He struck out eight before giving way to Billy Taylor, who pitched a perfect ninth.

McGwire led off Oakland’s fifth with his fourth home run of the season to make the score 4-1.

Chicago 7, Boston 4--Outfielder Darrin Jackson homered off the light standard above the left-field wall in Fenway Park, singled, reached on an error and grabbed a potential homer over the right-field fence to lead the White Sox.

Jackson and Frank Thomas hit solo homers in the fourth inning, and Lance Johnson added two RBI singles. Scott Sanderson (1-0), making his first appearance for Chicago, gave up one run and six hits in six innings.

Kansas City 8, Cleveland 3--Five days after the worst start of his career, Kevin Appier pitched seven strong innings for the Royals at Cleveland.

Rookie designated hitter Bob Hamelin homered and doubled, driving in three runs and now has eight RBIs in his last two games.

Brian McRae had four hits, matching his career high for Kansas City, which completed its first sweep in Cleveland since 1973.

Appier (1-2) came into the game with a 13.50 ERA after giving up nine runs in three innings of a 22-11 loss to Boston last Tuesday.

Seattle 8, Milwaukee 3--Ken Griffey Jr. and Torey Lovullo each had three hits for the Mariners at Seattle.

Seattle broke out of a 16-inning scoreless streak with the five-run outburst against Milwaukee starter Jaime Navarro in the fourth inning.

Baltimore 6, Texas 5--Reliever Lee Smith came on in the ninth inning to shut down a Ranger uprising and give the Orioles a victory at Arlington, Tex.

Trailing 6-2, Texas began its comeback when Juan Gonzalez and Jose Canseco opened the bottom of the ninth with consecutive home runs.

When Alan Mills, who had come on to pitch the ninth for Baltimore, gave up a single to Dean Palmer, Smith took the mound and allowed only only one more run.