AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Ontiveros Blanks Yankees With One-Hitter

Steve Ontiveros didn’t get a no-hitter, but he also didn’t let one hit ruin his day.

After Luis Polonia broke up his no-hit bid in the sixth, Ontiveros went right back to work to complete a career-best one-hitter in the Oakland Athletics’ 3-0 victory over the New York Yankees Saturday at Oakland.

Polonia’s bouncer up the middle barely cleared Ontiveros’ leaping attempt at a bare-handed stop and rolled into center field.

“I have no regrets,” Ontiveros said. “I can’t throw a pitch any better than that. I had fallen off the mound and wasn’t in a good position to field it. It was just a good hit.”

Ontiveros (5-1) retired the next five batters and struck out the sixth, Randy Velarde, who reached on a passed ball by catcher Terry Steinbach.

He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks in getting his fourth consecutive victory and second shutout of his career.

Ontiveros had thrown two two-hitters, one of which came against the Yankees last July 20.

Andy Pettitte (0-1) took the loss in his first major league start, allowing three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Ruben Sierra homered off Pettitte to start the sixth, the 27th homer allowed by Yankee pitchers in the last 14 games. Yankee pitchers, missing the injured Jimmy Key and Scott Kamieniecki, have allowed at least one homer in 21 of New York’s 26 games.

Chicago 1, Detroit 0--Jason Bere (1-3) pitched eight shutout innings for the White Sox at Detroit before giving way to Roberto Hernandez in the ninth.

Hernandez, who gave up Kirk Gibson’s game-winning two-run homer in the ninth the night before, this time worked a 1-2-3 inning for his seventh save.

Bere, whose last complete game was in 1993, wanted to go the distance but understood why he didn’t. “Who doesn’t want to finish?” he said. “But it was important for Roberto to bounce back the way he did.”

Detroit reliever Felipe Lira (0-3), making his first major league start, had a shutout until Ron Karkovice led off the fifth with his third homer, a towering shot into the upper deck in left.

Toronto 3, Cleveland 0--Lance Parrish hit a three-run homer and Al Leiter (2-2) pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings at Toronto as the Blue Jays handed the Indians their first shutout of the season.

It was Parrish’s first homer of the season but the 309th of his career.

Texas 3, Minnesota 1--Kenny Rogers extended his scoreless-inning streak to 33, lowered his ERA to a major league leading 1.42 and won his fifth consecutive game as the Rangers won at Minneapolis.

Matt Whiteside relieved Rogers (5-2) in the eighth with two on and nobody out and retired three straight to end the inning.

Baltimore 11, Seattle 4--Jeff Manto hit a three-run homer and Cal Ripken Jr. went four for five as the Orioles won at Seattle. Alan Mills (3-0) earned the victory in relief.