AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Finally, the West Has a Leader That’s Worthy

Since April, the rap on the American League West has been that its leader had a sub-.500 record.

No more. The West’s bid for legitimacy in baseball’s realignment has been bolstered by the Texas Rangers, who have won nine of their last 11 games, including a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night at Arlington, Tex.

The Rangers (29-28) went over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

The Royals had won three of their last four and had a five-game road winning streak snapped.

Kenny Rogers won his sixth in a row and Juan Gonzalez broke a 26-game homerless streak, with his seventh, for the Rangers, who have won three in a row.

Esteban Beltre led off the third with a single against Mark Gubicza (4-5), stole second and scored on Doug Strange’s double. Jose Canseco’s bloop single scored Strange, making it 3-0, and Canseco scored on Gonzalez’s single. Rusty Greer’s groundout gave the Rangers a 5-0 lead.

Texas made it 6-0 in the fourth on Strange’s run-scoring single and 7-0 in the sixth on Beltre’s single.

Rogers (8-3) yielded eight hits and two runs in eight innings. He is 8-1 in his last 11 starts.

“It’s easy to win when you have the run support,” Rogers said. “It always helps getting seven or eight runs a game when you’re on the mound. I know our offense can get runs. When you get a big lead, you’re able to get guys out without having my best stuff.”

Gonzalez, the two-time defending major league home run champion, had a solo homer in the second inning. It was his first since May 4, ending a homerless streak of 99 at-bats.

“You never know,” he said of the possibility of a third consecutive AL home run crown. “I could be hitting 50 in one month.

“I’m feeling more comfortable and being more patient. There’s still a little pressure. I’m still working hard. I’m looking for a hot month.”

Toronto 7, New York 5--While the West goes up, the East goes down, including the division-leading Yankees, who have lost three in a row and nine of their last 11. They are 1-7 in June, including four one-run losses.

Joe Carter helped the Blue Jays stop the Yankees in Toronto with three RBIs, which increased his league-leading total to 62. Woody Williams pitched five innings of scoreless relief for the Blue Jays.

Williams (1-1) relieved in the second after starter Juan Guzman left because of a sore right shoulder. Williams immediately loaded the bases on a single and two walks but struck out Mike Gallego and got Pat Kelly on a grounder to second to preserve Toronto’s lead.

Minnesota 8, Chicago 4--Kirby Puckett had two home runs, a double and four RBIs at Minneapolis in a game that had eight runs, 13 hits and three lead changes in the first two innings.

Scott Leius of the Twins, who hit only eight home runs in his first three seasons, hit his ninth of the season in the second inning off Scott Sanderson (4-1), tying the score, 4-4.

Puckett had solo homers, his eighth and ninth of the year, in the fifth and seventh innings.

His four RBIs give him 59 in 55 games, 50 in his last 44.

Puckett had been in a mini-slump with only seven hits in 35 at-bats during the five previous games.

Milwaukee 4, Cleveland 3--Jose Valentin’s bases-loaded single capped a ninth-inning rally at Milwaukee and denied Jack Morris his 250th victory.

Cleveland led, 3-2, entering the ninth, but Dave Nilsson drew a one-out walk and Brian Harper doubled off Paul Shuey (0-1). John Jaha was walked intentionally to load the bases. Derek Lilliquist relieved and walked Matt Mieske to forced in the tying run.

Valentin followed with soft liner to left field that ended the game.

Mike Ignasiak (2-1) got the victory with two innings of relief, striking out four and walking none.

Morris, the winningest active pitcher in the major leagues, gave up six hits in seven innings, walked one and struck out seven.