AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Alvarez Learns How the Other Half Lives

Wilson Alvarez said his fastball was “real good.” Toronto’s hitters liked it, too.

Alvarez’s 15-game regular-season winning streak was stopped Tuesday night when the Blue Jays beat the White Sox, 9-5, at Chicago.

“It was one of those nights I felt real good, but I couldn’t get anybody out,” Alvarez said. “I felt I had a real good fastball.”

Roberto Alomar hit a two-run home run and an RBI single as the Blue Jays scored in each of the first six innings and handed Alvarez (8-1) his first loss since Aug. 11.

“I know the streak is over. Now, I have to start one all over again,” he said.

Alvarez, who won his last seven regular-season decisions in 1993 plus Game 3 of the American League championship series, shared the club record with LaMarr Hoyt, who won 15 in a row in 1983-84. Cleveland’s Johnny Allen and Baltimore’s Dave McNally share the AL mark at 17 consecutive victories.

Alvarez allowed six runs and eight hits in three innings, walking two and striking out one.

“I don’t think he had real control of his pitches and we were fortunate to get to him early,” said Mike Huff, who homered and doubled.

Darrin Jackson drove in all five Chicago runs, including a grand slam off Pat Hentgen (7-5).

Kansas City 7, Baltimore 3--David Cone became the first nine-game winner in the American League when the Royals rallied for five runs in the sixth inning at Kansas City.

Chico Lind and Wally Joyner each had two-out, two-run singles in the rally as Cone (9-2) outpitched Ben McDonald, who was also seeking his ninth victory.

Cone had won eight in a row before losing a game and then getting a no-decision in his last start on June 1 at Boston.

McDonald (8-4), who was knocked out in the sixth, was making his first start since he sustained a groin injury on May 28.

Texas 10, New York 9--David Hulse and Jose Canseco each hit a home run to key a six-run first inning at Arlington, Tex., as the Rangers outlasted the Yankees.

Will Clark also homered, and Esteban Beltre went three for four with two RBIs. Texas won for the seventh time in nine games.

Don Mattingly, Paul O’Neill and Bernie Williams hit homers for the Yankees, who have dropped five of six.

Oakland 6, Milwaukee 5--Ruben Sierra’s second home run of the game snapped an eighth-inning tie as the Athletics won at Oakland.

The A’s had blown a 5-0 lead before Sierra hit a 1-and-2 pitch from Doug Henry (2-2) over the right-field wall. Sierra, who has 14 homers, hit one right-handed and one left-handed for the fourth time in his career.

Billy Taylor (1-3) picked up the victory, despite giving up a game-tying three-run homer to B.J. Surhoff in the seventh inning. Dennis Eckersley pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Milwaukee’s Teddy Higuera was hammered for the third consecutive time. He allowed five runs, four of them earned, and six hits in three-plus innings. Higuera has not pitched past the fourth inning in any of his last three starts, allowing 18 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings.

Boston 5, Detroit 1--The Red Sox broke a four-game losing streak in the usual way, behind Roger Clemens’ pitching.

Clemens is 101-36 in games after Boston losses--3-0 this year. He struck out 12.

Rich Rowland hit a two-run homer to help out at Detroit.

Seattle 9, Cleveland 5--Felix Fermin hit an RBI single, and pinch-hitter Torey Lovullo added a three-run homer in the eighth inning for the Mariners in a victory at Seattle.

Jay Buhner doubled off Derek Lilliquist (1-2) to lead off the eighth, and Brian Turang’s sacrifice put Buhner at third. Mike Blowers walked, and Fermin hit an infield single off Jose Mesa to make it 6-5.

Lovullo, pinch-hitting for Bill Haselman, homered on Mesa’s first pitch. Lovullo’s second homer gave the Mariners 83 this season, tops in the majors.

Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his major league-leading 24th homer, and Tino Martinez also homered for the Mariners.