Orioles Win on Three Homers by Ripken

Cal Ripken, assured he will not be forced to play third base, hit three homers in a game for the first time and drove in a career-high eight runs Tuesday night, leading the Baltimore Orioles over the Seattle Mariners, 12-8, at the Kingdome.

Ripken hit a grand slam and two two-run homers. He began the day with only three homers, but wound up tying Eddie Murray for the team’s career home run lead with 333.

Baltimore Manager Davey Johnson said last week that Ripken, a 13-time All-Star shortstop, was likely to be moved to third base either during the Memorial Day weekend or during the series in Seattle because of injuries to other players.

Ripken and Johnson, however, talked before Tuesday’s game and the manager said that notion is now “on the backburner.”

Ripken has started Baltimore’s last 2,174 games at shortstop, dating to 1982. He has played 2,221 in a row overall.

“It’d be a nice story to say that finally having that weight off my shoulders about moving to third helped me accomplish what I did tonight,” Ripken said. “I’m not sure it’s true.”

Said Johnson: “If I have to hack him off every night to get him to hit three home runs I’ll do it. Maybe I’ll ask him to DH tomorrow.”

After Ripken hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his brother Bill--who started at third base--also homered. It was the second time the Ripkens have homered in the same game, and the 16th time in major-league history that brothers have connected in the same game.

Brady Anderson hit his seventh leadoff homer of the season and No. 19 overall for the Orioles, who scored all of their runs on homers.

Chicago 8, Toronto 5--Robin Ventura homered in his only two at-bats, including a long shot off the glass of Windows Restaurant in right-center field, to lead the White Sox over the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Ventura, who has homered in the past three games, added a two-run homer in the eighth inning for his 11th of the season as Chicago hit four home runs.

Tony Phillips and Ozzie Guillen also homered for the White Sox, who earned their ninth victory in 10 games.

Phillips, who reached base five times, led off the game with his fifth home run and 23rd of his career leading off. That tied him with Lou Whitaker for eighth place on the career list.

Earlier in the day, Phillips was fined $5,000 by the American League for punching a fan during a game in Milwaukee.

Texas 11, Cleveland 3--Ivan Rodriguez hit two home runs and Dean Palmer homered and drove in four runs to lead the Rangers past the Indians at Arlington, Texas.

The Rangers, who have won four in a row, scored five runs in the first inning off Orel Hershiser and Darren Oliver won his fourth game to match his 1995 win total.

“All the runs we got early definitely helped,” said Oliver, who held Cleveland to one run on five hits in seven innings. “They were trying to come back and were swinging at bad pitches. In that situation, you want to throw strikes and let them hit the ball to your fielders.”

Albert Belle hit his major league-leading 21st home run for Cleveland.

Milwaukee 7, Minnesota 3--Matt Mieske hit a two-run homer and Kevin Seitzer had a solo homer and three runs batted in for the Brewers in their victory over the Twins at Milwaukee.

Seitzer’s solo homer ignited a three-run outburst in the seventh inning that broke open a close game as the Brewers ended a four-game losing streak.

Scott Karl gave up three runs in six innings in halting the Twins’ three-game winning streak.

Oakland 6, Boston 2--John Wasdin won his first start of the season, defeating Roger Clemens, and Mark McGwire and Geronimo Berroa each homered for the Athletics at Oakland.

Wasdin, making only his third career start and first since being recalled from triple-A Edmonton on May 22, outdueled Clemens, who lost for the first time in six starts.