AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Canseco’s Big Night: Three Homers, Eight RBIs

All Ken Griffey Jr. did Monday night at Arlington, Tex., was hit a grand slam, drive in a career-high six runs--and get upstaged.

Jose Canseco hit three homers, including a 480-foot shot, and drove in a career-high eight runs in leading the Texas Rangers over the Seattle Mariners, 17-9.

Canseco, who missed the previous three games because of a hip injury, went five for six with a team-record 14 total bases.

Canseco hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a three-run shot in the third and a solo shot, his 19th, in the seventh, matching a career high for homers in a game.

His 480-foot blast was the one in the third and was the longest in Arlington since the Rangers began recording distances in 1987.

In addition, Canseco had RBI singles in the second and fifth innings.

“It’s an incredible feeling, but that’s what Ken Griffey Jr. has felt all season,” Canseco said. “You want to pinch yourself to make sure it’s real.”

In his last eight games, Canseco is 19 for 34 with eight homers and 20 runs batted in.

Griffey hit his 26th homer, and sixth career grand slam, in the sixth inning as the Mariners pulled within 11-5. He was three for five.

Cleveland 7, Toronto 3--Mark Clark, one of baseball’s best-kept secrets, kept his Jacobs Field record perfect and pitched the Indians to their 12th consecutive home victory.

Clark (8-1) allowed three runs and nine hits in 7 2/3 innings and won his sixth consecutive decision to improve to 5-0 in eight home starts this year.

Acquired by the Indians from St. Louis for Mark Whiten in March 1993, the right-hander blossomed when he changed from an abbreviated windup to a full over-the-head motion late in the season after a stint on the disabled list. He’s 11-2 in 18 starts since then.

Albert Belle hit his 16th home run and Manny Ramirez his 11th for Cleveland. Joe Carter hit his 16th for Toronto.

Rookie Brad Cornett (0-1) lost his first big league start, hurting himself by walking five batters. Three of them scored.

Minnesota 5, Boston 2--The Red Sox lost their fifth in a row as Roger Clemens (6-3), the only Red Sox starter to win since May 26, allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings at Boston.

Clemens struck out five, increasing his American League-leading total to 103, but was outpitched by Jim Deshaies (3-6), who allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out a season-high seven in six innings.

The Red Sox, who have lost seven in a row at home, and 10 of 12 overall, may have also lost first baseman Mo Vaughn for an indefinite period. He was in considerable pain after being hit by a pitch in the right elbow in the third inning, but X-rays showed no fracture.

Chicago 1, Oakland 0--Jason Bere (8-1) allowed two hits over eight innings and struck out a career-high 14 for the White Sox at Chicago. But he walked six and was lifted after 129 pitches.

New York 3, Baltimore 1--Melido Perez (4-3) held the Orioles to six singles over eight innings at Baltimore, ending the Orioles’ four-game winning streak.