AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Strike Is an Error for Benitez

After walking three batters in a row, Armando Benitez threw the ball over the plate.

Big mistake.

Terry Steinbach connected, driving Benitez’s first offering over the left-field wall for a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning Thursday as the Athletics rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 9-6, in Oakland.

“In a situation like that you just try to get a pitch you can hit,” said Steinbach, who has two grand slams in four at-bats with the bases loaded this season.

“I think it’s a situation where the hitter has the advantage. There’s so many things a hitter can do and come out successful, from a walk, to a sac fly to a base hit. . . . I just think the pressure is on the pitcher.”

Benitez (0-3) had put it on himself. With Baltimore ahead, 6-5, he walked Geronimo Berroa, Mark McGwire and Ruben Sierra.

Steinbach followed with the sixth grand slam of his career.

“I had problems with my mechanics. I was too quick,” Benitez said. “I tried to put a twist on the fastball but he got a real good swing.”

Baltimore pitchers walked 14, matching the club record for a nine-inning game.

Seattle 4, Boston 3--Chad Kreuter got a rare start at catcher and doubled in two runs for his first RBIs of the season as the Mariners won at Seattle, sending the AL East-leading Red Sox to their fifth loss in six games.

Kreuter’s double scored Mike Blowers and Alex Rodriguez for a 3-1 Seattle lead in the second inning. Kreuter came home when a ball hit by Alex Diaz went through Luis Alicea’s legs.

Minnesota 4, Detroit 3--Scott Erickson, the Twins’ starting pitcher, and Brian Bohanon, Detroit’s starter, left after a 1-hour 53-minute rain delay following the second inning, and Minnesota’s Mark Guthrie struck out 12 in six innings of relief to win at Detroit.

Pedro Munoz doubled home the tie-breaking run in the ninth inning for the Twins, who broke a four-game losing streak.

Kansas City 3, Milwaukee 1--Gary Gaetti and Pat Borders homered and Chris Haney scattered three hits in 7 2/3 innings for the Royals in a victory at Milwaukee.

Brewer left-hander Sid Roberson (0-1), making his first major-league start, took a two-hitter into the seventh inning before surrendering a two-run homer to Gaetti.

Borders homered leading off the eighth.

The loss was Milwaukee’s fifth in a row at home and ninth in its last 12 games overall.