AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Stanley’s Six RBIs Make Yankees Boss This Time

Perhaps the presence of owner George Steinbrenner was enough for the Yankees. Or maybe it was the tongue-lashing they received the night before from their manager.

Despite the off-field distractions, Mike Stanley hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs Tuesday night as New York beat the Tigers, 10-4, in Detroit for the Yankees’ fifth victory in 21 games.

Steinbrenner watched from a seat behind the Yankees’ dugout as his team earned only its seventh victory in 20 road games.

“I don’t know if anybody noticed it but me,” Manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s not the first time he’s watched us play and I hope it’s not the last.”

Steinbrenner left without speaking to reporters.

Stanley hit his seventh career grand slam and fourth homer this season to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. He followed an inning later with a two-run double that chased Tiger starter Mike Moore (4-5).

Jack McDowell (2-4) snapped a career-worst string of eight starts without a victory, winning for the first time since his first start of the season, April 28 at Kansas City.

Chicago 7, Oakland 6--Frank Thomas’ homer in the 10th inning gave the White Sox a victory over the Athletics, who had tied the game in the ninth on Ruben Sierra’s two-run, two-out homer at Oakland.

Thomas’ 11th homer of the season came off Dave Leiper (1-1). It made a winner of Roberto Hernandez (2-3), who blew a save chance in the ninth.

Robin Ventura hit a pair of solo homers as the White Sox broke a four-game losing streak.

Cleveland 11, Baltimore 0--Dennis Martinez kept his record perfect, throwing his second shutout in three starts, and Jim Thome and Albert Belle homered at Cleveland as the Indians won for the 10th time in 11 games.

Playing before 41,927, the largest crowd at Jacobs Field, the Indians improved baseball’s best record to 32-11. They are off to the best start in team history.

Martinez (6-0) gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out three for his 28th career shutout. He is pitching with torn cartilage in his left knee, injured while he was running in the outfield before a game in Toronto late last month.

Mike Mussina (5-4) gave up six runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Kansas City 3, Seattle 1--Chris Haney gave up five hits in seven innings and Vince Coleman extended his hitting streak to 17 as the Royals won at Seattle.

The Royals scored two runs in the seventh to earn their fourth consecutive victory and 15th in 20 games.

Haney (3-1) beat Salomon Torres (0-3) by striking out five and walking two in handing the Mariners their third loss in a row. Jeff Montgomery earned his 10th save.

Boston 11, Toronto 7--Reggie Jefferson and John Valentin both homered and drove in four runs as the Red Sox ended their three-game losing streak at Toronto.

Mike Greenwell, who also homered, was taken off the field in a medical vehicle in the seventh inning after he crashed head first into the left-field wall chasing Roberto Alomar’s triple. Greenwell had no neurological damage and was hospitalized overnight for observation.

Mike Maddux (1-1) went four innings in relief of Vaughn Eshelman, who pitched only three innings in his first start since May 24 because of shoulder tendinitis.

Milwaukee 14, Texas 2--Ricky Bones allowed two hits over seven innings to end the Rangers’ six-game winning streak at Milwaukee.

Fernando Vina had three singles and two RBIs, and Jose Valentin had three RBIs as the slumping Brewers took advantage of Ranger right-hander Kevin Gross, who had another miserable outing.

Gross (1-6), who gave up six earned runs on eight hits in just 4 1/3 innings, leads the league in runs allowed (52).