AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gibson Homers to Win Game in Ninth--Again

Been there. Done that.

For years--many years--Kirk Gibson has been hitting home runs to win games, but the aging process tends to make each one special, each time at bat with the game on the line memorable.

It was no World Series winner, but his two-run pinch-hit homer off Roberto Hernandez (0-2) with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night in Detroit beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-7.

Gibson again.

“In the 26 years I’ve been in the major leagues, I’ve seen [Joe] Morgan, [Tony] Perez and [Johnny] Bench and I’ve never seen a guy do it as many times as this,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “It’s so many times it’s silly. He’s the best I’ve ever seen at it.”

Gibson hit his sixth homer of the season, fourth in as many games, and at 37 still relishes hitting with the result on the line.

“That’s what the battle’s about, hanging in until I can find something to hit,” Gibson said. “When I go up I visualize coming through. I think about the last time I had success.”

Hernandez (0-2), trying for his seventh save, sandwiched strikeouts of pinch-hitter Lou Whitaker and Travis Fryman around the walk to Cecil Fielder before Gibson’s homer.

Kansas City 8, Milwaukee 3--Kevin Appier won his AL-leading sixth victory and Gary Gaetti hit two two-run homers for the Royals, who won at Milwaukee.

Appier (6-1) pitched 6 1/3 innings and worked his way out of two bases-loaded jams, stranding eight Milwaukee runners.

The loss was Milwaukee’s sixth in a row at home and 10th in the last 13 games.

Gaetti has four homers in his last three games.

Cleveland 7, Toronto 4--Omar Vizquel, who had only seven homers in his six-year major league career as the season began, hit his third in a week to lead off the eighth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie and sending the Indians to a victory in Toronto.

Paul Sorrento and Manny Ramirez each homered twice for Cleveland, which sent the Blue Jays to their eighth loss in 10 games.

Texas 6, Minnesota 5--Will Clark homered and drove in three runs, and Otis Nixon had four hits for the Rangers in a victory at Minneapolis.

Bob Tewksbury (3-1) allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings. Jeff Russell recorded his fifth save in seven opportunities.

Oakland 4, New York 3--Terry Steinbach homered for the third game in a row, a two-run shot in the seventh inning that gave the Athletics a victory in Oakland.

Sterling Hitchcock was working on a one-hitter for New York when Steinbach hit his fifth homer of the season, sending the Yankees to their fourth consecutive loss.

It was the third come-from-behind victory in a row for the A’s, who have won 12 of their last 16.

Hitchcock (2-3) allowed just three hits in eight innings, getting 13 outs on ground balls and striking out five.