O’Neill Homers in Eighth to Power Yankee Victory

Paul O’Neill hit a three-run homer that erased an eighth-inning deficit, and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 7-5, on Tuesday night for their ninth victory in 10 games.

With the Yankees trailing, 4-3, at Chicago, Chuck Knoblauch doubled off Keith Foulke (1-1), Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch and O’Neill followed with his fourth home run.

“I was waiting for a strike,” O’Neill said. “He doesn’t want to walk me.”

Mike Cameron homered off Jeff Nelson (2-1) in the eighth, and Mariano Rivera got five outs for his 10th save in 12 chances.

Dale Sveum added an RBI single in the ninth off Matt Karchner, helping send the sputtering White Sox to their eighth loss in 10 games.

New York improved to 35-10 despite a poor outing by Andy Pettitte, who gave up four runs and four hits in six-plus innings and walked a career-high seven.

Jim Parque, a 22-year-old left-hander, made his major league debut for Chicago and gave up two runs and five hits in four-plus innings.

A year ago, Parque was pitching for UCLA in the College World Series. He is the first 1997 draftee to appear in the major leagues.

“I was nervous,” Parque said. “When I first walked on the field, I thought I’d been in a major league stadium before, but never played in one.”

Cleveland 9, Detroit 2--Travis Fryman’s controversial homer helped extend his former team’s misery at Jacobs Field.

With the Indians already leading, 4-0, Fryman hit a shot to the top of the 19-foot wall in left off starter Tim Worrell (2-6). A fan reached over the yellow home run line and appeared to catch the ball and carry it over the fence.

Tiger Manager Buddy Bell came out to argue with Rich Garcia, the same umpire who ruled a ball hit by New York’s Derek Jeter was a home run in Game 1 of the 1996 AL championship series. A 12-year-old fan had clearly carried it over the wall at Yankee Stadium.

This time, replays showed the fan missed and the ball cleared the fence on its own.

Detroit had won nine of 12 before getting swept in the two-game series.

Tampa Bay 7, Oakland 2--Rookie Rolando Arrojo won his seventh game, and Quinton McCracken, Paul Sorrento and Miguel Cairo each homered, leading the Devil Rays past the mistake-plagued A’s at Oakland.

It was the expansion team’s first win in four meetings against Oakland, whose three errors boosted its total to a league-leading 45. The miscues led to two unearned runs.

Arrojo (7-3), the leader among AL rookies in wins and strikeouts, gave up two runs on five hits and struck out seven before leaving after five innings. Scott Aldred, Albie Lopez, Jim Mecir and Roberto Hernandez finished.

“This week they told me not to do biceps exercises with weights, but I did it anyway and my biceps muscle was sore,” Arrojo said through an interpreter.

“I was throwing fine. It’s just a precaution. When I was pitching, I didn’t feel it. But when I wasn’t pitching my muscle vibrated.”

Oakland’s Tom Candiotti (4-5), pitching on three days’ rest for the first time this season, went five innings and gave up four runs--three earned--on nine hits.

Baltimore 8, Seattle 3--Scott Erickson shut down Seattle on five hits in eight innings, and the Orioles beat the Mariners at Seattle for their third win in four games.

Joe Carter homered for Baltimore, and Lenny Webster and Roberto Alomar each had two RBIs. The Orioles have started to bounce back after a nine-game losing streak.

Erickson (5-5), who lost his previous two starts, struck out eight, walked three and gave up only one run. Sidney Ponson finished and gave up a two-run homer to Glenallen Hill.

“I don’t care what happens, you can’t blame it on the pitching every time,” Erickson said. “If we lose, nobody says anything about the hitting. If you have a bad game pitching, all of a sudden all the pitchers stink.”

Seattle, which has lost six of eight and 10 of 14, got its run in the third on Ken Griffey Jr.’s RBI single.

Cal Ripken got his 1,475th RBI, tying Billy Williams for 32nd on the all-time list. Ripken is 12 for 25 (.480) in his last seven games on the heels of a two-for-26 slump.

Toronto 5, Boston 2--Mike Stanley drove in three runs with a homer and a double at Boston, and the Blue Jays extended their winning streak to a season-high four games.