AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Kent Lifts Blue Jays to Victory

When Jeff Kent finally got his chance for the Toronto Blue Jays Saturday, he was anything but full of confidence.

However, the reserve infielder doubled home the winning run against Donn Paul in the 11th inning, giving the Blue Jays a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Toronto.

“I wasn’t predicting a game-winning RBI,� Kent said. “I went out there and just tried not to strike out. The guys in the dugout were talking about Pall’s forkball and all of a sudden there it was and it got a good piece of the bat.�

Kelly Gruber got an infield hit with two out in the 11th against Pall (2-2) and stole second. Kent, who had seven hits in 28 at-bats this season, lined a 2-and-2 pitch into the left-field corner.

David Wells (2-2) gave up three hits in three scoreless innings to pick up the victory.

The Blue Jays threatened in the 10th, but Pat Borders was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Lance Johnson when he tried to score from second on Roberto Alomar’s two-out single.

Toronto tied the score, 1-1, in the eighth. Chicago’s Kirk McCaskill walked Manuel Lee, reliever Scott Radinsky walked Devon White and Alomar singled home the tying run.

McCaskill gave up three hits in 7 2/3 innings. Toronto starter Jimmy Key gave up three hits in seven innings, including singles to Tim Raines and Robin Ventura before Frank Thomas hit a sacrifice fly in the first.

Baltimore 7, Oakland 6--Brady Anderson, Sam Horn and Chito Martinez hit home runs at Oakland and the Orioles beat the Athletics for the first time in five games this season.

Anderson broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning with an opposite field homer off Joe Slusarski (4-3).

Horn made it 4-2 with a line drive deep into the right-field bleachers leading off the sixth. After Randy Milligan singled and Chris Hoiles doubled off Slusarski, A’s Manager Tony La Russa brought in left-handed Vince Horsman to pitch to left-hander Martinez. Horsman got ahead 0-and-2, but Martinez hit the next pitch for a three-run homer.

Terry Steinbach and Randy Ready hit home runs as Oakland rallied with two runs in the seventh and two in eighth, but Gregg Olson got the last six outs for his 11th save.

Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken played in his 1,620th consecutive game on the 10-year anniversary of the start of the streak.

Kansas City 8, Texas 2--Kevin Appier went seven solid innings at Kansas City and the Royals handed the Rangers their second loss in a 13-game surge that has taken them to first place in the West.

Appier (4-3), whose earned-run average rose to 1.99, gave up two runs and seven hits, striking our four and walking three.

Mike Macfarlane hit a two-run double to break a 1-1 tie in the fourth. Brian McRae followed with a triple and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Curtis Wilkerson.

Gregg Jefferies hit an RBI double in the first inning off Mike Jeffcoat (0-1), stretching his hitting streak to 16 games.

Seattle 3, Boston 0--Rookie Dave Fleming pitched a five-hitter for his first major league shutout as the Mariners defeated the Red Sox at Seattle.

Fleming (7-1) has won seven consecutive decisions and has given up three earned runs or fewer in each of those starts. He struck out two and walked one. He was 5-0 in May with a 1.87 ERA.

Omar Vizquel hit a two-out, two-run triple off Mike Gardiner (3-3) in the second.

New York 8, Milwaukee 1--Scott Sanderson became the ninth pitcher to beat all 26 major league teams as the Yankees trounced the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Sanderson (4-2) joined Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton, Mike Torrez, Rick Wise, Gaylord Perry, Doyle Alexander and Goose Gossage as those who have defeated every club.

Sanderson gave up five hits and struck out six in seven innings.

Kevin Maas, Charlie Hayes and Don Mattingly homered off Chris Bosio (3-3).

Minnesota 7, Detroit 5--Shortstop Travis Fryman booted Lenny Webster’s bases-loaded grounder, the Tigers’ third error of the inning, and the Twins scored five runs in the eighth to pull out the victory at Minneapolis.

Minnesota’s Bill Krueger had his first poor outing, failing to improve to 6-0 by giving up home runs to Rob Deer, Phil Clark and Fryman. Tom Edens (3-0) got the victory and Rick Aguilera worked the ninth for his 14th save.

Mike Henneman (0-2), who blew his first save in 13 opportunities since last Aug. 11, was victimized by the eighth-inning errors.