Mariners’ Johnson Keys End To Streak

Randy Johnson pitched four scoreless innings of relief, striking out eight, and the Mariners rallied from a five-run deficit to break a seven-game losing streak with a 9-5 victory over Kansas City on Tuesday night at Seattle.

Jay Buhner ignited the Mariner comeback with a three-run homer and Johnson closed out the game with a dominant pitching display that gave him his second career save.

Johnson, last season’s AL Cy Young Award winner who was sidelined from May 12 to Aug. 6 because of a bulging disk, made his third and longest appearance out of the bullpen since coming back.

He didn’t give up a run and yielded only one hit in helping Terry Mulholland (1-1) get his first victory in his third start for Seattle.

Johnson grazed rookie Mike Sweeney in the helmet with a pitch in the eighth. He also walked one batter as Manager Lou Piniella continued to prepare him to return to the starting rotation.

Texas 6, Detroit 2--Will Clark’s first home run since June 1 snapped a sixth-inning tie and Roger Pavlik picked up his first victory in a month as the Rangers extended their winning streak to five with a victory over Detroit at Arlington, Tex.

Clark, mired in a 10-for-56 slump, broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth with his seventh homer, to the left-field stands off Omar Olivares (7-8).

Pavlik (13-6) snapped a personal four-game losing skid by giving up two runs and five hits in seven innings for his first victory since July 13.

Chicago 8, New York 4--Robin Ventura hit his ninth career grand slam and second of the season, giving him a personal-best 27 homers, as the White Sox beat the Yankees at Chicago.

Ventura drove a 3-0 pitch from David Weathers (0-2) over the right-field wall to cap a five-run fifth inning. The shot was preceded by a costly error by Yankee second baseman Pat Kelly.

Ozzie Guillen tripled to open Chicago’s fifth and scored on Tony Phillips’ single. Frank Thomas walked and Harold Baines reached when Kelly fielded his grounder and threw wide to second, loading the bases. Ventura followed with his slam to put the White Sox ahead, 6-4.

Baltimore 4, Milwaukee 3--The Orioles used five walks and a sacrifice fly by Roberto Alomar to score three runs in the eighth inning in handing the Brewers their eighth loss in a row at Milwaukee.

Baltimore finished with only two hits, but took advantage of 10 walks by four Milwaukee pitchers to win for the sixth time in eight games.

Jeff Cirillo and Dave Nilsson homered for the Brewers, who are mired in their worst skid since a 14-game losing streak in 1994.

Boston 7, Toronto 5--Wil Cordero, playing his first game since coming off the disabled list, drove in two runs to send the Red Sox to victory at Toronto.

Cordero had been sidelined since May 21 with a fractured right tibia before being activated Monday.

Boston scored four runs in the second inning en route to its ninth victory in 11 games.

The game featured 10 pitchers, all going less than four innings.

Minnesota 6, Oakland 2--Matt Lawton’s two-run single highlighted a five-run eighth inning as the Twins overcame Mark McGwire’s major league-leading 42nd home run to beat the Athletics at Oakland.

McGwire put Oakland ahead with a two-run homer off Rick Aguilera (6-4), who gave up five hits over seven innings.

Rich Becker and Paul Molitor ignited the Twins’ rally with back-to-back singles to chase Don Wengert (5-8).

Pinch-hitter Ron Coomer doubled to left off reliever Mike Mohler to drive in the tying run, Marty Cordova was walked intentionally to load the bases and pinch-hitter Matt Walbeck grounded to shortstop Mike Bordick, who threw home to try to force Molitor. Catcher Terry Steinbach dropped the ball while trying to apply the tag for an error.

After Dave Hollins popped out, Lawton drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single. The fifth run scored when right fielder Jose Herrera overthrew third baseman Scott Brosius.