Tigers Appear to Have Yankees’ Number, 6-3

The Detroit Tigers have trouble against nearly every team in the American League--except the world champions.

Jose Macias had three hits, including a two-run triple, and Jeff Weaver pitched 6 2/3 strong innings Saturday as the Tigers defeated the New York Yankees, 6-3, at Detroit. The victory was the Tigers’ second consecutive over the Yankees, who have lost three games in a row for the first time this season.

Detroit, which has baseball’s worst record at 11-23, has scored 15 runs in the two victories over the Yankees after scoring only two in its previous four games.

The Tigers are assured of winning only their second series. They took two of three from Seattle in the first series at Comerica Park on April 11-13.

“To heck with the series,” Detroit Manager Phil Garner said, looking ahead to today’s finale. “I want to win three in a row. We haven’t done that yet, have we?”

Detroit hasn’t won three in a row since a six-game winning streak last September.

“Teams come out to play us, there’s no doubt about it,” New York’s Paul O’Neill said. “When we come to town, they come to play. If we don’t play a good, solid game, we’re going to get beat. That’s just the way it is.”

Weaver gave up three runs--one earned--on seven hits in picking up his first victory. He struck out five and walked two.

Chicago 4, Minnesota 3--Pinch-hitter Jeff Abbott hit a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the White Sox past the Twins at Chicago.

After reliever Eddie Guardado retired Chris Singleton to start the inning, Bob Wells was called on to close it for the Twins, who led, 3-2.

But Carlos Lee beat out a single to short and after pinch-hitter Greg Norton was called out on strikes for the second out, Abbott hit a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left-center field and was mobbed at the plate by teammates. The victory was only the third in 12 games for the White Sox.

Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 4--Raul Mondesi, Tony Batista, Alex Gonzalez and Brad Fullmer hit home runs for the Blue Jays, who outslugged the Devil Rays and pulled away late to win at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Kelvim Escobar gave up Fred McGriff’s 395th career homer, a three-run shot in the first, and Bubba Trammell’s solo homer for a 4-3 Devil Rays’ lead in the second before settling down and giving up only one hit the next five innings.

Batista hit his 11th homer in the second off Dwight Gooden. Three batters later, Gonzalez’s two-run shot wiped out the lead Tampa Bay took on McGriff’s fifth homer. Mondesi’s 10th made it 4-4.

Seattle 6, Oakland 4--Alex Rodriguez hit a home run and the Mariners ended a three-game losing streak by defeating the Athletics at Oakland.

Rodriguez’s two-run home run off Kevin Appier in the fifth gave the Mariners a 4-2 lead. It was his 12th home run and 160th of his career, tying him with Alvin Davis for No. 4 on the Mariner list.

The two runs batted in gave Rodriguez 501 for his career.

Cleveland 7, Kansas City 6--David Justice’s two-run single with one out in the 12th inning at Cleveland rallied the Indians past the Royals.

Justice slapped a single off Jose Santiago inside the bag at third for Cleveland, which trailed, 5-2, after seven innings. The Indians, who won their third consecutive game, scored twice in the eighth and tied it in the ninth on Richie Sexson’s leadoff home run off Ricky Bottalico.

Boston 5, Baltimore 1--Mike Stanley, Scott Hatteberg and Donnie Sadler hit eighth-inning home runs off Mike Trombley as the Red Sox defeated the Orioles at Baltimore, extending the Orioles’ losing streak to six games.

The Red Sox, held hitless by Jason Johnson until Stanley singled with two out in the sixth, won their fourth in a row. The crowd of 48,579 was the largest for a regular-season game in the nine-year history of Camden Yards.

Baltimore led, 1-0, with two out in the eighth when Trombley replaced Buddy Groom with a runner on first. Stanley put the Red Sox ahead, 2-1, with a two-run shot into the left-field stands.