AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Mariners Win to Move Within 5 1/2 of Angels

The Seattle Mariners took time to applaud Cal Ripken Jr. for playing in his 2,128th consecutive game Sunday, then took a little longer to win in Baltimore, 9-6, and move to within 5 1/2 games of the Angels in the AL West race.

Rich Amaral, subbing for the ailing Ken Griffey Jr., hit a three-run homer for the Mariners, who rebounded from a three-run deficit to win their seventh game in the last 10.

When the game became official after five innings, the Mariners climbed the steps of the dugout and joined the sellout crowd of 46,269 in a standing ovation for Ripken, who is on his way toward breaking Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games Wednesday.

“He deserves it,” Seattle Manager Lou Piniella said. “It was a small tribute to him from myself and from my players. It was something we had talked about a little bit.”

Ripken went two for five with two RBIs. He has 27 RBIs in his last 34 games.

Griffey sat out the game because his left wrist was sore.

Down, 4-2, the Mariners scored four runs in the fifth inning against Rick Krivda (2-3). Felix Fermin and Vince Coleman singled before Amaral hit his second homer of the season. A walk, a single and a double-play grounder made it 6-4.

Oakland 10, New York 9--Tony Fernandez hit for the cycle for the Yankees, but Rickey Henderson’s home run in the 10th inning gave the Athletics a victory in New York and stopped the Yankees’ five game winning streak.

Fernandez became the 10th Yankee to hit for the cycle and first since Bobby Murcer on Aug. 29, 1972. Fernandez homered in the fourth inning, singled in the fifth, tripled in the seventh and doubled in the ninth.

Cleveland 9, Detroit 8--Jose Mesa blew his second save in 10 days, but Omar Vizquel’s RBI single in the 10th inning lifted the Indians to a victory at Detroit.

The Indians are 12-0 in extra-inning games and have won 25 games in their final at-bat.

Mesa (3-0), who leads the majors with 38 saves, relieved with one out in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and an 8-4 lead, but immediately gave up a grand slam to Ron Tingley.

Milwaukee 7, Minnesota 6--Pinch-hitter Matt Mieske’s grand slam in the seventh inning at Minneapolis stopped the Brewers’ losing streak at six games.