AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Johnson-less Mariners Win Anyway, 11-2

Seattle lost its ace Thursday night and found it could do just fine without him.

After Randy Johnson was scratched from his scheduled start, the Mariners recorded a season-high 19 hits to support emergency starter Bob Wolcott and beat the Boston Red Sox, 11-2, at Boston.

“We told him last time, ‘Hey Kid, we’re going to score some runs for you,”’ said outfielder Jay Buhner, who hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning. “I think he did a heck of a job.”

Wolcott (2-1) was walking around the clubhouse in his shorts 15 minutes before game time when he found out he would start. He gave up two runs and nine hits over six innings, walking two and striking out four.

Johnson--second in the league in ERA and the leader in strikeouts, shutouts and opponents’ batting average--couldn’t get loose while warming up. He will not throw for three or four days and will probably miss his next start, the Mariners said.

Cleveland 6, Toronto 4--Albert Belle homered in extra innings for the second consecutive night, hitting a two-run shot in the 10th inning to lead the Indians at Cleveland.

“Albert’s unbelievable,” said teammate Carlos Baerga, whose ninth-inning sacrifice fly produced the extra innings. “He has power, discipline. You don’t see players like that every day. When Albert is up there, you expect him to hit a home run.”

Belle’s 33rd homer marked the ninth time this year the Indians ended a home game with a homer. Belle has done it three times. The Indians have won a season-high eight in a row, improving baseball’s best record to 80-35.

Kansas City 7, Milwaukee 6--Tommy Goodwin, who doubled after Johnny Damon’s game-tying leadoff home run in the ninth, scored on Mike Fetters’ errant pickoff attempt to third to give the Royals a victory at Kansas City.

Damon’s first major league homer tied the score, 6-6, after the Brewers had scored three in the ninth to take a one-run lead. The Royals have won five consecutive games and seven of eight and are 10-2 against Milwaukee this season.

Oakland 8, Baltimore 7--Mike Bordick hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lead the Athletics to their first series sweep at Baltimore in three years.

The victory was Oakland’s ninth in 11 games. Cal Ripken Jr., playing in his 2,125th consecutive game for the Orioles, had three runs batted in.

Chicago 9, Detroit 0--Ozzie Guillen’s three-run single was the key hit as the White Sox scored eight runs with two out in the second inning in their victory over the Tigers at Chicago.

Chicago sent 13 batters to the plate and had six hits against Mike Moore and Brian Bohanon in its highest scoring inning this season. Alex Fernandez (9-8) gave up five hits, struck out five and walked none.