AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Wakefield Flirts with Another No-Hitter

After seeing Tim Wakefield flirt with a no-hitter for the second time this season, his catcher still can’t figure out why the Boston knuckleballer isn’t an all-star.

Wakefield, who didn’t allow a hit for seven innings, finished with a four-hitter and lowered his league-best earned-run average to 1.61 in Boston’s 7-0 victory Sunday over the Twins at Minneapolis.

“I’m one of the guys who thinks Tim should be in the All-Star game,” catcher Mike Macfarlane said. “I think he should be the starter with the ERA he has. He’s been the league’s dominant pitcher in the first half.”

Wakefield (7-1) walked four and struck out three. The shutout was his first since he ended the 1993 season with two in a row pitching for Pittsburgh.

Jeff Reboulet led off the eighth by grounding a clean single to center on a 1-2 pitch. After Scott Stahoviak flied out, Rich Becker got the Twins’ second hit with a single to center. But Wakefield got Chuck Knoblauch to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Wakefield, 28, also had a no-hitter going at home against Oakland on June 9. Stan Javier broke up the bid with a one-out single in the eighth and Wakefield settled for a three-hitter.

Texas 5, New York 4--Mickey Tettleton tied the game in the eighth with his 200th career home run and hit a run-scoring single in the 12th inning for the victory in 102-degree heat at Arlington, Tex.

Tettleton’s ground single to left off Steve Howe (3-3) scored Mark McLemore from second base when Gerald Williams’ throw to the plate was off-line.

Ed Vosberg (3-2) pitched three innings of two-hit relief. He struck out three and lowered his ERA at home to 0.61.

Texas trailed, 4-3, in the eighth before Tettleton hit his 14th home run of the season, off Bob Wickman. Tettleton also had an RBI in the sixth that tied the score, 3-3.

Toronto 7, Oakland 3--Devon White homered and scored three runs, and Pat Hentgen pitched 7 1/3 strong innings at Oakland.

White went three for five and hit his eighth home run, and Roberto Alomar and Ed Sprague also homered for the Blue Jays.

With a four-run lead after two innings, Hentgen (6-6) won his second consecutive start. He gave up six hits, striking out four with no walks.

Seattle 9, Cleveland 3--Tino Martinez hit his second career grand slam and Jay Buhner hit a three-run homer at Cleveland.

Buhner’s fourth-inning home run spoiled Orel Hershiser’s return from the disabled list, and Martinez homered with the bases full in the seventh against Bud Black, who was making his first relief appearance since 1990.

Hershiser (5-4), who had missed two starts because of a sprained lower back, looked sharp for three innings before walking two batters and yielding Buhner’s 11th home run in the fourth.

Hershiser lasted five innings, giving up five runs and six hits. He dropped to 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA over his last four starts.

Baltimore 11, Chicago 2--Scott Erickson made a successful debut and Harold Baines and Chris Hoiles homered as the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the White Sox at Chicago.

Erickson (5-6), making his first start with the Orioles after being acquired Friday from Minnesota, gave up two runs in six innings.

Bret Barberie went three for four, scored twice and drove in two runs.

Alex Fernandez (4-6) gave up eight runs, nine hits and two walks in three-plus innings.

Detroit 4, Kansas City 2--Rookie Felipe Lira earned his fifth victory in seven starts and the Tigers took advantage of Tom Gordon’s wildness at Detroit.

Lira (6-4) gave up three hits in six-plus innings and was charged with two runs. He struck out four, walked one and retired 11 batters in a row at one point.

Mike Henneman pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Leadoff walks by Gordon (5-5) in the first and third innings led to runs. He gave up only five hits and struck out six in 7 1/3 innings but also walked five and threw two wild pitches.

Detroit, which has won nine of its last 12 games, had only six hits but scored two runs on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch.