AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Chicago Powers Way Past Detroit

Robin Ventura hit two of Chicago’s five home runs and drove in four runs Tuesday night as the White Sox pounded the Detroit Tigers, 15-7, at Tiger Stadium.

The 15 runs were the most given up by the Tigers this year.

Detroit and Chicago combined for a major league record with 12 homers in Detroit on May 25. In five games at Tiger Stadium, the White Sox have 14 home runs this season.

“We always feel we’re going to score,” White Sox Manager Terry Bevington said. “I’m sure they feel they’re going to score too. We’ve been swinging the bat real well, but we probably saw some pitches to hit tonight too.”

The Tigers’ depleted pitching staff, whose earned-run average rose to 5.55, has allowed 39 runs on 62 hits in the last four games. That’s one reason the Tigers are 8-30 since the All-Star break.

“Maybe this tired the White Sox out,” Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson said. “We’ll give them this one to get the next one.”

In his last six games, Ventura is 10 for 23 with four homers and 11 runs batted in.

David Martinez, Ron Karkovice and Norberto Martin also homered for the White Sox. Cecil Fielder, Ron Tingley, Chad Curtis and Chris Gomez homered for Detroit.

Lance Johnson had four hits for Chicago.

Minnesota 9, Texas 4--Kirby Puckett drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a double at Arlington, Tex., as the Rangers had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Puckett, who has two years left on his contract but can leave the Twins any time he chooses, has hit safely in 22 of his last 25 games.

“I have no theories on hitting, I’m just up there hacking,” he said. “We have nothing to lose on this team now. We have a lot of hungry guys.”

Toronto 5, Cleveland 4--Joe Carter reached on an infield hit and then scored from first base on Jim Thome’s throwing error in the bottom of the ninth to give the Blue Jays the victory at Toronto.

Carter, who also homered in the eighth, had a one-out infield single off Julian Tavarez. One out later, Tomas Perez hit a ground ball that third baseman Thome fielded cleanly, but his throw bounced past first baseman Herbert Perry and into foul territory. Carter scored standing up.

Cleveland starter Dennis Martinez allowed six hits and two runs in six innings. He has four losses and two no-decisions in his last six starts, all unsuccessful bids at picking up his 10th victory.

Milwaukee 8, Kansas City 1--Jeff Cirillo hit his third home run in two nights and the Brewers used a seven-run fifth inning for the victory at Milwaukee.

Jamie McAndrew (2-2) scattered six hits over eight innings and became the second former replacement pitcher to win for Milwaukee in two nights. Monday, Brian Givens got the victory.

All of the Brewers’ fifth-inning runs came with two outs. The big inning came one night after they gave up a franchise-record 11 runs in the fourth inning of an 18-9 loss to the Royals in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

Oakland 6, New York 2--Geronimo Berroa continued his torrid hitting against the slumping Yankees, breaking a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer to center field in the fifth inning at Oakland.

Berroa--who homered, tripled and drove in three runs Monday--is hitting .406 (13 for 32) with four homers and 16 RBIs in nine games against the Yankees this season. He has a .352 career average against New York.

Baltimore 2, Seattle 1--Bobby Bonilla’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie at Seattle and enabled Mike Mussina to move into a tie for the major league lead in victories.

Manny Alexander walked with one out and the score tied, 1-1, in the sixth. He moved to third on a single by Rafael Palmeiro and scored on Bonilla’s fly ball to deep center.

Palmeiro also hit a solo homer, his 27th, off Tim Belcher to put the Orioles up, 1-0, in the first.

Mussina (14-7), who is tied with Boston’s Tim Wakefield for most victories, allowed eight hits over 7 2/3 innings. Doug Jones pitched the ninth for his 20th save.

Mussina faced more than four Mariner batters in an inning once.