Murray Nears 500 Home-Run Plateau

Eddie Murray figures he’ll get home run No. 500 soon enough. Right now, though, he’s focused on helping the Baltimore Orioles get back into the pennant race.

Murray’s 497th homer, his second of the game, broke an eighth-inning tie Wednesday and gave the Orioles an 8-5 victory over Milwaukee at Baltimore.

Murray, who has 18 homers this season, is three short of joining Willie Mays and Hank Aaron as the only players in baseball history with 500 homers and 3,000 hits.

“It was just good to put the team up,” Murray said. “I was just going up there trying to make something happen.”

It was Murray’s first two-homer game of the season and 27th of his career. The two runs batted in gave him 1,880 over 20 seasons and pushed him past Cap Anson into eighth place on the career list.

Roberto Alomar also homered twice for the Orioles, who have won seven of nine and 11 of 15. Milwaukee has lost nine consecutive games.

“It’s starting to eat at us, big time. I’ve just reviewed all the scenarios, all the things that we’ve done. I don’t know that there’s anything else to do,” Milwaukee Manager Phil Garner said. “We need somebody to step up, drive in a run. Shut down the opposition and do it right through the last stinking out. We need somebody to make a play.”

New York 3, Chicago 1--Andy Pettitte became the league’s first 17-game winner and Darryl Strawberry doubled in the go-ahead run as the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep at Chicago.

Pettitte (17-7) is 11-0 in day starts this season and 10-2 following a New York loss. He gave up seven hits over seven innings and struck out nine.

Mariano Rivera, assuming closer duties while John Wetteland nurses a pulled groin, pitched two innings for his fourth save.

Tino Martinez and Derek Jeter homered for the Yankees. Frank Thomas scored Chicago’s only run with his 26th homer.

Minnesota 13, Oakland 7--Chuck Knoblauch homered on the game’s first pitch and Matt Walbeck drove in four runs for the Twins as they held the Athletics’ Mark McGwire hitless at Oakland.

Knoblauch’s homer started a five-run first against Dave Telgheder (1-4) as the Twins won for the ninth time in 11 games. Frankie Rodriguez (11-9) pitched five innings in relief of starter Scott Aldred for the victory.

Geronimo Berroa homered for the A’s, raising the team’s major-league leading total to 195.

Boston 8, Toronto 6--Charlie O’Brien’s passed ball allowed Troy O’Leary to score the go-ahead run in the ninth as the Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit to win at Toronto.

Jacob Brumfield homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs for the Blue Jays. Mo Vaughn and Wil Cordero drove in three runs each for the Red Sox.

Otis Nixon tied a Toronto single-game record by stealing four bases.

Texas 5, Detroit 4--Juan Gonzalez hit his 34th homer and Kevin Elster delivered a two-run single as the Rangers extended their winning streak to six games with a victory and series sweep at Arlington, Texas.

Bobby Witt (12-8) picked up the win despite giving up four runs and eight hits in five innings. Mike Henneman pitched the ninth for his 25th save.

Kansas City 3, Seattle 1--Bob Hamelin and Craig Paquette hit second-inning solo homers to lead the Royals to a victory over the Mariners, who finished their worst homestand ever at 1-8 at the Kingdome.

Rookie Jose Rosado (4-2) won for the fourth time in five decisions, giving up one run and six hits in seven innings.

Dave Montgomery got his 23rd save in 30 chances as the Royals won for the sixth time in nine games in handing Seattle its 10th loss in its last 12 games.

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The 400 Club

Major league players with 400 or more career home runs.

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Rk. Player HRs 1. Hank Aaron 755 2. Babe Ruth 714 3. Willie Mays 660 4. Frank Robinson 586 5. Harmon Killebrew 573 6. Reggie Jackson 563 7. Mike Schmidt 548 8. Mickey Mantle 536 9. Jimmie Foxx 534 10t Willie McCovey 521 10t Ted Williams 521 12t Ernie Banks 512 12t Eddie Mathews 512 14. Mel Ott 511 15. Eddie Murray 497 16. Lou Gehrig 493 17t Stan Musial 475 17t Willie Stargell 475 19. Dave Winfield 465 20. Carl Yastrzemski 452 21. Dave Kingman 442 22. Andre Dawson 437 23. Billy Williams 426 24. Darrell Evans 414 25. Duke Snider 407

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Active players shaded.