Rangers Sweep Indians

The Cleveland Indians know something about sweeps. Not this kind, though.

The Indians, who have pulled off their share of sweeps the last two seasons, were on the other end of one Wednesday night, losing their third consecutive game to the Texas Rangers, 5-4, at Arlington, Texas.

Texas completed its first series sweep of the Indians since 1992 when Dean Palmer raced home on Sandy Alomar’s passed ball with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.

With the three-game sweep of the Indians, who still have the best record in the American League, the Rangers moved 14 games over .500 for the first time since July 14, 1979.

“Sweeping teams like Cleveland, Baltimore and New York at home, those are pretty good teams,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “They won’t get swept by many teams.”

In the eighth, Ivan Rodriguez hit a one-out single off Julian Tavarez (2-2), and took second on a wild pitch. Mickey Tettleton then hit an RBI single to bring the Rangers within 4-3.

Palmer followed with a single that advanced pinch-runner Rusty Greer to third. Mark McLemore greeted Paul Assenmacher with a single to bring in Greer with the tying run.

Assenmacher walked Lou Frazier before a crossed-up Alomar let a pitch to Warren Newson get by, allowing Palmer to score.

Detroit 5, Kansas City 4--Curtis Pride hit one of the Tigers’ four solo homers, and tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Tigers, baseball’s worst team, ended a 12-game losing streak at Kansas City.

Cecil Fielder, Melvin Nieves and Raul Casanova also homered for the Tigers (13-39), who won for only the fifth time in 37 games.

Toronto 6, Chicago 5--Jacob Brumfield hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs as the Blue Jays rallied at Toronto.

The Blue Jays trailed, 4-0, when Brumfield, obtained May 15 in a trade from Pittsburgh, started Toronto’s comeback with his second American League home run, a two-run shot to left off Joe Magrane (1-1) that scored Ed Sprague.

Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 7--Jeff Reboulet’s RBI single with one out in the 12th inning lifted the Twins to a victory at Milwaukee.

Dave Hollins led off the inning with a bunt single off Graeme Lloyd (1-2) and was sacrificed to second by Scott Stahoviak. Reboulet, who entered the game in the 11th, followed with a single up the middle and Chuck Carr’s throw hit him as he slid past home plate.

Oakland 7, Boston 6--Torey Lovullo’s bases-loaded grounder scored the winning run when first baseman Mo Vaughn’s throw to the plate was in the dirt for an error as the Athletics rallied for two runs in the 10th at Oakland.

Heathcliff Slocumb (1-3) did not retire any of the five batters he faced in the 10th. He walked Mark McGwire to lead off the inning, gave up a single to Geronimo Berroa, hit Allen Battle with a pitch, then allowed a game-tying single by Terry Steinbach.

Seattle 9, Baltimore 8--Russ Davis went from goat to hero at Seattle. After the Orioles scored on his error in the top of the ninth to take the lead, Davis singled off Randy Myers with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to score Jay Buhner for the victory.