AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Fernandez, in Control, Beats Twins

Alex Fernandez got his first victory and was part of history Monday night at Chicago as he pitched the White Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

“Hey, I’m in the books then,” Fernandez joked after learning that his eight-inning performance came in front of the smallest crowd ever at new Comiskey Park, which opened in 1991.

Fernandez wasn’t all that concerned with the crowd of 16,485. His focus was on the plate as he didn’t walk a batter in a 114-pitch effort. His control was the reason he was able to allow 10 hits and still win.

And he got a cushion early when Frank Thomas and Warren Newson hit back-to-back homers in the first.

“Nothing out there was easy. But it is more comfortable when you jump ahead by three runs,” Fernandez said. “I gave up 10 hits but about eight of them were the cheap stuff. But that’s part of the game.”

Chicago’s victory was only its third in 11 games.

Cleveland 6, Kansas City 2--The Indians jumped on Kevin Appier for two runs before he recorded an out and finished him off in the sixth at Cleveland. It was Appier’s first loss in four starts.

“Let’s face it, Cleveland probably has the most potent offense in the game,” Royal Manager Bob Boone said.

Going into the game, Appier had allowed only one earned run and struck out 27 in 19 2/3 innings. Four days earlier, he had struck out 12 in seven shutout innings at Minnesota.

Texas 7, Oakland 4--Otis Nixon drove in two runs with a 10th-inning single to lead the Rangers, at Oakland, to their third victory in the four-game series.

With one out in the 10th, Dean Palmer and Mark McLemore singled off reliever Dennis Eckersley (0-2). One out later, Nixon singled to shallow center field, driving in Palmer and McLemore. Jeff Frye then singled and Nixon scored on an error by second baseman Brent Gates.