BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Witt Doesn’t Get Call, Misses Perfect Game

It won’t say so in the record book, but as far as Bobby Witt is concerned, he pitched a perfect game in beating the Kansas City Royals Thursday at Oakland, 4-0.

Witt (5-7) had a perfect game until Greg Gagne beat out an infield hit with one out in the sixth. Gagne grounded to first baseman Troy Neel, who threw to Witt covering the bag. Umpire Gary Cederstrom called Gagne safe on a close play, although TV replays appeared to show that Witt and the ball beat Gagne to the bag. Witt did not allow another hit.

“I honestly believe when I looked down, I saw my foot hit the bag, then Gagne’s foot hit,” said Witt, who tied a career high with 14 strikeouts. He did not walk a batter.

“Obviously, by the replays, the man is out at first,” Witt said. “I think (Cederstrom) missed the call. But there’s nothing I can do about it now, and I can’t speak out about it.”

Witt was in control throughout and showed no signs of fatigue. He struck out six of the last seven batters, striking out the side in the eighth and two batters in the ninth.

Umpire crew chief Drew Coble would not allow media access to Cederstrom, but he did make a statement.

“He called it the way he saw it, and we have no further comment,” Coble said.

The A’s took a 1-0 lead in the first when Stan Javier doubled to right with one out, took third on Brent Gates’ infield single and scored on Ruben Sierra’s grounder.

In the fifth, Rickey Henderson was hit by David Cone’s pitch with two out and Javier followed with a home run to left.

Chicago White Sox 13, Seattle 2--Ozzie Guillen hit a three-run homer, his first homer since last July, and tied a career high with four RBIs at Seattle. Lance Johnson drove in five runs and Julio Franco homered, drove in three runs and scored three times for the White Sox, who won their third game in a row after losing 12 of 15.

Cincinnati 7, San Francisco 5--Not even a four-homer game at Riverfront Stadium could end the San Francisco Giants’ slump or their bad luck.

The Giants have lost five in a row and 12 of 14 to fall 12 games under .500 and 6 1/2 games out of first in the National League West.

Matt Williams hit two solo homers, Barry Bonds hit a solo shot and Steve Scarsone hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Chuck McElroy to make the score 7-5.

The Giants ended the game with their best pitcher injured again. Bill Swift (8-5), the Cy Young Award runner-up last season, re-injured muscles in his right side--the same injury that sidelined him for two weeks earlier this season.

Swift left the game after giving up Hal Morris’ bases-loaded double, which made it 4-1 with two out in the fourth. He had hurt his side three batters earlier while making a throw to second.

Chicago Cubs 9, Florida 3--Mike Morgan, just off the disabled list, pitched six strong innings at Joe Robbie Stadium and won for the first time since Sept. 20, 1993.

Morgan (1-7), who had lost nine consecutive decisions, yielded two runs and seven hits.