AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Blue Jays Have Help in Reserve

It was a night for Toronto’s reserves at Minneapolis. Mike Huff, replacing center fielder Devon White, had three hits and tripled in two runs. Dick Schofield, replacing shortstop Alex Gonzalez and batting only .143, added four hits and two runs batted in as the Blue Jays defeated the Twins, 12-7, Friday.

Pat Borders had three hits and John Olerud had two hits and three RBIs for Toronto, which pounded five Minnesota pitchers for 16 hits.

“That’s why you keep plugging away, taking extra batting practice, so you’re ready when the time comes,” Schofield said.

Kirby Puckett and Jeff Reboulet hit three-run homers for the Twins.

Juan Guzman (3-2) held the Twins scoreless until the seventh inning, when an RBI triple by Alex Cole and Puckett’s three-run homer brought the Twins to 6-4.

Toronto had lost two in a row and four of five.

Kevin Tapani (1-2) absorbed the loss for the Twins, who have given up 35 runs in their last four games, a stretch that includes a no-hitter by Scott Erickson.

Toronto batted around in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Schofield drove in two runs with a single and Olerud hit a bases-loaded double to give the Blue Jays an 11-4 lead.

“We already had one game where we lost a six-run lead in the ninth,” said Paul Molitor, remembering a game against the Angels two weeks ago. “So we just keep trying to score some runs. Right now, teams are out there with the philosophy that you never quite have enough.”

New York 10, Oakland 6--Jim Abbott staggered through five innings at Oakland, giving up four runs, eight hits, eight walks and a wild pitch, but it was enough to give him his third victory in five decisions.

Luis Polonia doubled three times, drove in three runs, scored twice and made an over-the-fence grab in the first inning to rob Ruben Sierra of a three-run homer and extend the Athletics’ losing streak to 11. Oakland also dropped 11 in a row from June 8-18, 1978.

The Yankees knocked out Bob Welch (0-3) after 1 1/3 innings, his shortest start since June 30, 1984, when he worked one inning against the Chicago Cubs while with the Dodgers.

Welch lost his seventh consecutive game, including his final four decisions of 1993. His earned-run average ballooned to 8.18.

Detroit 4, Chicago 3--Kirk Gibson hit a two-run triple in the sixth inning at Detroit, sending the Tigers past the White Sox.

Bill Gullickson (1-1) won for the second time in seven decisions against Chicago, giving up two runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Mike Henneman gave up an RBI single to Robin Ventura in the ninth, but struck out Dan Pasqua with two runners on for his fourth save.

Jason Bere (2-1) lost for the first time since Aug. 8. He had nine consecutive victories.

Cleveland 5, Texas 4--Kenny Lofton homered with one out in the 12th inning as the Indians won at Cleveland.

Lofton stood near home plate and watched his drive against Jay Howell (2-1) sail into the right-field seats. The home run, his third, improved the Indians to 4-0 in extra innings this year; they were 2-12 in extra-inning games last season.

It was the second time Lofton has won an extra-inning game with a homer. He beat the Angels in the 10th inning on April 13.

Seattle 5, Baltimore 4--Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to rally the Mariners to a victory at Seattle.

With the Mariners trailing, 4-3, Griffey hit his seventh homer to chase Baltimore pitcher Jamie Moyer. Buhner followed with his fifth homer, against reliever Alan Mills (0-1), sending the Mariners to their fifth victory in six games.