AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Belle Saves Best for Last Again, Leads Indians Over Orioles, 4-2

Albert Belle is so hot, he even scares the pitchers on his own team.

“I don’t ever want to have to face him,” Mark Clark said Thursday night after Belle’s two-run home run in the eighth inning gave Clark and the Cleveland Indians a 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland.

It marked the 11th time the Indians have won at Jacobs Field in their last at-bat. Belle has been responsible for five of those--four with home runs, one with a two-run single.

He got no argument from Baltimore Manager Johnny Oates, whose club split a four-game series with the Indians. Belle, who has homered in three consecutive games and five of six, also beat the Orioles with a ninth-inning home run Tuesday night.

“If he gets hot and (Seattle’s Ken) Griffey cools off, you’ve got to start talking about a triple crown,” Oates said. “This guy’s done some damage. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, the numbers he’s putting up. He’s doing more than just hitting the ball out of the park.”

Belle is hitting .371 with 23 home runs and 67 runs batted in.

Clark (9-2) yielded two runs and 10 hits in his fourth complete game. He’s 6-1 at home this year and 12-3 in 21 starts since making a change in his windup following a stint on the disabled list last year.

“With a guy like Albert and the ability he has--maybe it’s unfair, but you always expect him to do something like he did tonight,” Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove said.

Boston 6, New York 5--Damon Berryhill tied the score with a two-run, pinch-hit triple and scored on a groundout in the eighth inning as the Red Sox ended their Fenway Park losing streak at 12 games, two short of a club record set in 1926. The loss ended the Yankees’ winning streak at eight games.

Pinch-hitter Otis Nixon led off the eighth with a walk against Bob Wickman and stole second. After Wes Chamberlain grounded out, Scott Cooper was safe on an error by third baseman Wade Boggs. Nixon stayed at second.

Berryhill then batted for Rich Rowland and drilled a ball to deep center, driving in Nixon and Cooper. Berryhill scored on Lee Tinsley’s grounder to first baseman Mike Stanley.

Milwaukee 9, Toronto 2--Bill Wegman remained unbeaten and Turner Ward broke out of a slump to provide the offense at Milwaukee as the Brewers handed the Blue Jays their 11th loss in 12 games.

Wegman (6-0) gave up one earned run and five hits in eight innings. He walked one and struck out four. His start is the Brewers’ best since Eduardo Rodriguez won his first seven decisions in 1975.

Ward, hitless in 19 at-bats before the game, had a double and a triple and drove in three runs.

Chicago 3, Kansas City 2--Frank Thomas hit his 29th home run and Julio Franco had four hits and drove in a run at Chicago to help the White Sox win for the eighth time in nine games.

Scott Sanderson (7-2) gave up 12 hits but didn’t walk a batter while working into the eighth inning for his third consecutive victory.

Minnesota 6, Texas 4--Kirby Puckett’s double broke a tie and capped a three-run seventh inning for the Twins at Minneapolis.

Rick Aguilera, who pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save in 20 opportunities.