Long Ball Keeps A’s on a High

Terry Steinbach hit a grand slam and Mark McGwire and Geronimo Berroa had consecutive home runs Tuesday as the homer-crazy Oakland Athletics defeated the White Sox, 8-4, at Chicago.

Steinbach’s homer was his fifth in three games, while McGwire’s major league-leading 35th was estimated as the longest by an opponent at new Comiskey Park since such records started being kept four years ago. It traveled 452 feet.

Berroa followed on the next pitch in the fourth inning with his 25th homer. Jason Giambi homered for the A’s in the ninth.

Oakland extended its club record to 19 consecutive games with a homer and its major league team lead to 167.

Steinbach’s grand slam was his second of the season and the eighth of his career. He has hit 24 homers this season, 23 of them as a catcher, passing the Oakland record held by Jeff Newman.

Oakland’s outburst helped Don Wengert (4-7) to a victory. He gave up eight hits in seven innings, including Robin Ventura’s 23rd homer.

Toronto 3, Cleveland 1--Pat Hentgen scattered five hits in 7 1/3 innings Tuesday night and Joe Carter hit his 350th career home run as the Blue Jays defeated the Indians at Toronto.

Hentgen (11-6), who has won his last four starts, struck out two and walked six. Mike Timlin pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Carter, who also played for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland and San Diego, hit his 175th home run for Toronto in the second, a solo shot off Chad Ogea (5-2). It was Carter’s 23rd home run of the season.

New York 6, Texas 0--Dwight Gooden, in his strongest outing since throwing a no-hitter May 14, gave up two hits in seven innings as the Yankees shut out the Rangers at New York.

Gooden (10-5), who gave up 10 runs and eight walks in less than five innings last Thursday against Milwaukee, yielded only a third-inning double to Mark McLemore and a sixth-inning double to Kevin Elster. He walked one and struck out five.

Losing pitcher Roger Pavlik (12-3) gave up eight hits and four runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Minnesota 3, Baltimore 2--Paul Molitor doubled home the tying run in the eighth inning and scored on a wild pitch as the Twins rallied to edge the Orioles at Baltimore.

Rick Aguilera (3-4) pitched seven innings of five-hit ball for the Twins, who handed the reeling Orioles their 10th loss in 14 games. He struck out four and walked one.

David Wells (6-10) took the loss. Rafael Palmeiro hit his 25th home run for the Orioles.

Kansas City 7, Boston 5--Kevin Appier won his fourth start in a row as the Royals defeated the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The game was delayed 1 hour, 55 minutes at the start because of rain. Two minutes after it began, Royals’ leadoff hitter Jose Offerman was ejected by plate umpire Al Clark for arguing a called third strike.

Craig Paquette hit his team-leading 13th homer for Kansas City, which has won seven of nine games. Five of the Royals’ runs were unearned because of four errors by the Red Sox.

Milwaukee 7, Seattle 3--Dave Nilsson hit home runs in the seventh and ninth innings and Scott Karl (10-5) won his 10th game of the season as the Brewers defeated the Mariners at Seattle. Jay Buhner hit his 27th homer of the season for Seattle in the fifth.