AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Indians Help Angels With Rout of Rangers

After struggling against the Angels for two nights, the Cleveland Indians turned their attention to helping out the Angels, however unwittingly.

The Indians also helped themselves to Texas Ranger pitching with rookie Herbert Perry getting four of Cleveland’s 19 hits in leading a 14-5 victory Wednesday night at Arlington, Tex.

The Ranger loss, coupled with the Angel victory in Toronto, put Texas three games down in the AL West, the first time it has been more than two games out since June 3.

Perry’s contribution involved hiding things. Never let them see you sweat.

“Once they find a weakness, these guys up here [in the majors] can find that spot with a pitch,” he said. “If they find a weakness, you’re dead.”

Dead, meaning back in the minor leagues. Perry came up when first baseman Eddie Murray went on the disabled list.

“When I came up, I thought I’d be here 15 or 20 days. I decided to just have fun,” Perry said. “When Eddie comes back, I may have to go down again. If I do, I’ll understand. . . . I realize the politics of baseball.”

Oakland 2, Detroit 1--Ariel Prieto gave up five hits over 8 1/3 innings for his first major league victory and rookie Jason Giambi hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning in the Athletics’ victory at Oakland.

Prieto (1-2), who emigrated from Cuba to the United States on April 7 and was the A’s first pick in the June amateur draft, allowed only a run-scoring double by Daniel Bautista and four singles.

Milwaukee 7, Seattle 6--Fernando Vina’s infield single off Bobby Ayala in the 12th inning at Milwaukee lifted the Brewers to their seventh victory in a row.

Ayala (3-3) was within one strike of the victory when he gave up Jose Valentin’s single that tied it, 6-6. Vina then bounced the ball up the middle to drive home Matt Mieske with the winning run.

New York 5, Kansas City 2--Sterling Hitchcock got Wally Joyner to pop up with one out, then Greg Gagne to ground out to the mound, both with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, to lead the Yankees to a victory in New York.

Hitchcock (4-6) then retired eight in a row before Gagne singled in the eighth inning and Bob Wickman came on in relief before John Wetteland pitched the ninth inning for his 13th save.

Minnesota 5, Baltimore 3--Rookie Brad Radke (7-7) won his fourth game in a row and Pedro Munoz homered and drove in three runs for the Twins, who won for only the sixth time in their last 26 games at the Metrodome.

Boston 5, Chicago 3--Tim Wakefield (9-1) scattered five hits over 7 1/3 innings and Willie McGee had four hits to lead the Red Sox to a victory at Chicago.

Boston spoiled the major league debut of Mike Sirotka (0-1) who went 6 2/3 innings.