AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Rookie Bill Simas retired Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Eddie Murray in pitching out of a bases-loaded, no-out, seventh-inning jam Friday night at Comiskey Park as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-2.

Simas, 24, used his overpowering fastball to strike out four batters in two perfect innings. Roberto Hernandez then pitched the ninth for his 23rd save, helping the White Sox pull within a game of the AL Central-leading Indians.

Chicago took advantage of an injury to Cleveland starter Dennis Martinez, rallying from a 2-0 deficit against relievers Jim Poole and Julian Tavarez (2-5). Martinez had a four-inning no-hitter going before straining a muscle in the right elbow-forearm area on his first pitch of the fourth.

The injury to the 41-year-old right-hander simply added to the woes of the Indians, who have lost seven of eight.

Baltimore 7, New York 4--Rafael Palmeiro hit his second two-run homer, capping a three-run ninth inning before 43,515 at Yankee Stadium.

Cal Ripken singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth and Palmeiro followed with his 20th home run off Mariano Rivera (3-1).

Palmeiro’s homer was the first off Rivera in 27 appearances. The Orioles broke a three-game losing streak and moved with 4 1/2 games of the East-leading Yankees.

Ripken drove in three runs. His RBI double preceded Palmeiro’s 19th homer in the fifth off Dwight Gooden that put the Orioles ahead, 4-3.

New York’s Wade Boggs hit his 500th career double in the fourth.

Boston 8, Detroit 5--Tim Naehring played a key role for the third consecutive game, driving in four runs with three singles to lead the Red Sox at Boston.

Lee Tinsley also had three RBIs as Boston won only its third game in its last 10. Detroit, which has won only 23 games, had won five of six.

Naehring’s first single tied the score, 1-1, in the third inning. He added a two-run single in a four-run fourth when Boston went ahead, 5-1, against Brian Williams (1-5), and singled home another run in the eighth.

Tim Wakefield (5-8) retired the first six batters and gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings for his first win in five starts.

Milwaukee 5, Toronto 1--Jeff D’Amico, activated from double-A El Paso earlier in the day, won his major-league debut to lead the Brewers at Toronto.

D’Amico, 20, the youngest active player in the majors, pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings. He walked the first two batters before settling down to retire 14 of the next 16.

Kansas City 6, Minnesota 2--Kevin Appier, the subject of several trade rumors, pitched a five-hitter and retired the final 15 batters at Kansas City.

Slumping Keith Lockhart doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Royals. Minnesota’s Marty Cordova extended his hitting streak to 22 games, matching Roberto Alomar for the longest in the majors.

Appier (7-7) pitched his second complete game and 24th of his career. He struck out eight and walked two.

Seattle 19, Texas 8--The Mariners scored seven times in the first inning off Texas ace Roger Pavlik (10-2), matched a club record for runs and totaled 22 hits at Seattle.

Seattle added eight runs in the fifth, establishing a club record with nine hits.