AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Yankees Win Fifth Game in a Row

The slump is ancient history. The Jack McDowell who pitched against the Cleveland Indians on Monday night was every bit as good as he has ever been.

“You start thinking, you wish you could have put together a decent first half,” McDowell said after he threw a four-hitter in the New York Yankees’ 4-0 victory at Cleveland.

The Yankees have won five in a row and 11 of 13, putting themselves squarely in contention for the AL wild-card spot.

McDowell (14-10) struck out eight and walked four in his eighth complete game of the year. In his last eight starts, he is 6-2 with a 1.71 earned-run average, five complete games and two shutouts.

McDowell has had a decision in each of his last 21 starts, including his 3-0 mark against the Indians. He has turned his season around after going eight starts without a win in May and June.

“Jack McDowell is stepping up his game late in the season, and the club is reaping the benefits,” Yankee Manager Buck Showalter said. “Today was impressive because of the need of the club, the competition, the time of the year.”

The game was an oddity in that the Yankees had no assists, just the fourth time that has happened in major league history.

In addition to McDowell’s eight strikeouts, there were two grounders to first baseman Don Mattingly, who made the plays unassisted, and 17 flies, pop-ups and line outs.

The Indians, who were shut out for only the third time, ended their 14-game home winning streak. It was the longest home winning streak in the AL this year.

Minnesota 12, Seattle 10--The Twins scored five unearned runs in the eighth inning on two errors and a passed ball and beat the Mariners at Seattle.

The loss dropped Seattle out of first place in the AL wild-card race. The Yankees moved half a game ahead of the Mariners, who had a three-game winning streak broken.

Trailing, 8-7, the Twins tied the score on pinch-hitter Pat Meares’ RBI single. They went ahead, 9-8, when Marty Cordova scored from third on Dan Wilson’s passed ball.

Chuck Knoblauch’s infield single made it 10-8 and Richard Becker’s two-run double capped the scoring. Seattle second baseman Joey Cora committed an error to start the inning and right fielder Jay Buhner made another error.

Detroit 3, Toronto 2--Travis Fryman led off the 10th inning with a homer at Toronto as the Tigers won their third game in a row. Fryman hit a 2-2 pitch from Jimmy Rogers (2-4) into the first row of seats in left, making a winner of Mike Christopher (3-0).

Baltimore 10, Boston 7--Harold Baines homered in a five-run eighth inning at Baltimore, as the Orioles extended the Red Sox’s losing streak to a season-high four games.