Griffey Hits 40th Homer

Lou Piniella has stopped trying to find new ways to describe Ken Griffey Jr.

“Junior is Junior,” the Seattle Manager said Tuesday after last year’s AL MVP hit his league-leading 40th home run in an 8-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Griffey, who began the night four behind Mark McGwire in the quest to break Roger Maris’ single-season record of 61, broke a week-long homer drought with a 407-foot solo shot off Wilson Alvarez (4-8) in the fourth inning.

He also had a run-scoring double and single in his first two at-bats against the Tampa Bay left-hander, who has given up nine homers in his last six starts after allowing just one in his first seven outings for the expansion team.

Griffey has homered in five of his last 12 games to get to 40 quicker than he’s ever reached the plateau.

“We won. That’s all I care about,” Griffey said. “I don’t even keep track. ... I just go out and play and have fun. I don’t think about anything but trying to help the ball club win any way I can.”

Jamie Moyer (7-7) gave up seven hits, struck out six and walked two in eight innings to get the victory, the Mariners’ seventh in eight games.

New York 5, Detroit 1--David Cone became the first 14-game winner in the majors and remained unbeaten at home as the Yankees defeated the Tigers.

Cone (14-3), who lost his last start to the Tigers on July 16, gave up eight hits and an unearned run in eight innings. He struck out 10, walked one and has won five of his last six starts. The right-hander is 9-0 at Yankee Stadium.

Chuck Knoblauch homered for the Yankees (70-25), who are one game off the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates’ pace for the best start after 95 games.

Baltimore 7, Oakland 1--Rafael Palmeiro hit his 30th homer and Scott Erickson pitched a six-hitter at Baltimore for his AL-high seventh complete game as the Orioles collected their 11th victory in 12 games.

Although the Orioles face a sizable deficit in the wild-card race, Orioles’ management decided hours before the game to keep the team intact for a possible stretch drive. Palmeiro, one of the players rumored to be on the trading block, responded with a three-run homer in the first.

Eric Davis and Cal Ripken also homered for the Orioles, who moved within two games of .500 for the first time since June 22. Davis, another veteran whose tenure in Baltimore seemed in doubt, went three for four and scored twice.

Erickson (11-7) struck out seven and walked one in his third consecutive victory. The right-hander did not allow a runner to reach second base after the first inning in improving to 7-1 over his last 10 starts.

Boston 10-2, Cleveland 7-4--Nomar Garciaparra hit a three-run home run and helped the Red Sox and Pedro Martinez defeat the Indians in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Cleveland.

The game was a makeup of an April 25 rainout.

In the second game, which was shortened to 7 1/2 due to rain, Jeff Branson’s homer off Tim Wakefield in the sixth was the difference for the Indians.

The split ended the Indians’ seven-game losing streak to the Red Sox, who are 8-2 against their possible first-round playoff opponent.

The night game was finally called at 12:48 a.m. after a second rain delay. The rain-soaked, lightning-filled marathon ended more than 11 hours after the first pitch was thrown in the opener.

With the split, the AL Central-leading Indians have lost eight of 14 to start the second half, including six of their last nine.

The zip of Martinez followed by Wakefield’s fluttering knucklers gave the Indians a preview of how puzzling a playoff opponent the Red Sox would be. As the standings are now, the Red Sox would get the AL wild card and play the Indians in a best-of-five division series.

Chicago 6, Toronto 3--Albert Belle went four for five with his 30th homer of the season and 13th in July, and the Blue Jays’ poor defense led to three unearned runs as the White Sox won at Toronto.

Belle, who appeared in court Monday to face charges of domestic violence against a 25-year-old woman, is five for eight with two home runs since the alleged incident.

After Blue Jay second baseman Tony Fernandez dropped a pop fly for an error in the first, Belle homered to put the White Sox up 2-0.

Belle, who also had three singles, has 12 homers in his last 14 games.