Rangers’ Gonzalez Sets Record for April RBIs

Projected over six months, Juan Gonzalez could put up some scary numbers.

“He might get 180 RBIs,” Ivan Rodriguez said. “Everybody on our team is a tough out. There’s always runners on base.”

Gonzalez hit a two-run homer and set a major league record for RBIs in April and Rodriguez had three hits as the Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-2, on Tuesday night at Minneapolis.

“It was an exciting moment for me,” said Gonzalez, who also had an RBI in March and leads the majors with 36. “When I see men on base, I try to drive them in. That’s my job.”

Gonzalez, who broke the record of 34 RBIs set last April by Tino Martinez of the New York Yankees, laughed at Rodriguez’s statement.

“There’s no magic number for me,” he said. “I don’t think about goals like that. It’s still a young season.”

Gonzalez hit his seventh homer of the year off reliever Eddie Guardado in the ninth inning, giving him 13 RBIs in his last five games.

“He is special,” said Texas Manager Johnny Oates. “I think he enjoyed tonight.”

Texas had 14 hits against four Twin pitchers, including eight in five innings off Minnesota rookie starter Eric Milton (2-2). The middle of the Rangers’ lineup--Rusty Greer, Gonzalez, Will Clark and Rodriguez--had nine hits.

“The whole lineup is producing,” said Greer. “But the key is having someone like Juan as the anchor. He had a knack for driving in runs.”

Toronto 5, New York 2--Tony Fernandez lined a three-run double and Ed Sprague hit a two-run homer as the Blue Jays became the first visiting team to win at Yankee Stadium this season.

The Yankees had won six in a row overall and 14 of 15. New York also had been 7-0 at home, including one game that was shifted to Shea Stadium because of repair work at Yankee Stadium.

The Blue Jays, who have struggled to get key hits all year, ended their three-game losing streak and defeated the Yankees for the first time in eight tries since last season.

Woody Williams (2-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up four hits, only one of them after Tino Martinez’s RBI single made it 1-0 in the first.

Five relievers blanked the Yankees the rest of the way. Paul Quantrill got Chad Curtis to ground into a double play with runners on first and third to end the eighth, and Randy Myers pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Cleveland 4, Chicago 1--Omar Vizquel hit a go-ahead, two-out RBI single in the ninth as the Indians won at Chicago.

Shawon Dunston, batting .176 entering the game, doubled with two outs off Matt Karchner (0-1) before Vizquel lined a 3-2 pitch to right center to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead.

Kenny Lofton walked and Brian Giles followed with a two-run double to give the Indians a three-run cushion.

Cleveland snapped a three-game losing streak and won for only the fourth time in 12 games.

Charles Nagy (3-1) had been roughed up by the White Sox in his previous outing last Wednesday at Jacobs Field, surrendering 12 runs--four earned--in only 4 2/3 innings.

But Tuesday night he gave up just three hits in eight innings, including Ray Durham’s game-tying homer in the sixth. He walked two, both in the first, and struck out four.

Mike Jackson pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Seattle 5, Kansas City 1--Randy Johnson pitched seven strong innings for his first win this season and Russ Davis singled in two runs to lead the Mariners to a victory over the Royals at Kansas City.

Johnson’s win came in his first start since serving a three-game suspension for throwing at Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton in an April 15 game. He gave up one run and five hits, struck out nine and walked four.

Johnson (1-1) kept intact his record of never having a winless April in nine seasons with Seattle. The last time Johnson failed to win a game in April was 1989, when he was winless in five games with Montreal.

Oakland 4, Tampa Bay 3--Ryan Christenson hit his first major league home run as the Athletics won at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Christenson connected against Jason Johnson (1-1) with one out in the fourth inning. Rickey Henderson followed with a towering homer to left for a 4-1 lead.