AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : For First Time in the ‘90s, Hershiser Wins 15th

The last time Orel Hershiser won 15 games in a season was 1989, the year after he won 23 games, a Cy Young Award and a World Series Championship for the Dodgers. Then came shoulder surgery, and he has tried to recover ever since.

Friday night at Kansas City, Hershiser (15-6) pitched the Cleveland Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Royals, giving up three runs and six hits in seven innings for his eighth victory in his last 10 starts.

Hershiser, 37, struggled a little because of too much rest, Manager Mike Hargrove said. “He made the pitches when he had to,” Hargrove said. “But he’s been sharper. It’s seven days for him.”

The victory was the Indians’ 94th, their most in 21 years. The Royals lost their fifth in a row, all at home.

Baltimore 10, Milwaukee 3--Cal Ripken homered and drove in a season-high five runs and Harold Baines hit his 300th homer to lead the Orioles at Milwaukee.

Bobby Bonilla and Rafael Palmeiro also homered for Baltimore, which won its third in a row. Palmeiro’s 38 home runs are the most by an Oriole since Frank Robinson hit 49 in 1966.

But it was Ripken who once again stole the spotlight. He had a run-scoring single in the first inning and a three-run homer in the second off rookie left-hander Brian Givens (5-6), which gave the Orioles a 6-0 lead.

It was the second consecutive day that Ripken had three hits. Before that, he had been in a three-for-44 slump since breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played.

Kevin Brown (9-9) gave up three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Chicago 5, Minnesota 4--Two throwing errors by the Twins in the 10th inning at Minnesota set up Lance Johnson for the winning hit as the White Sox beat the Twins for the seventh time this season.

The Twins, who batted .356 with runners in scoring position in winning four of five at Kansas City this week, blew a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the bottom of the sixth.

Kirk McCaskill (6-4) pitched four innings of relief for the victory. Roberto Hernandez pitched the 10th for his 32nd save.