AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Johnson Gets 11 Strikeouts in Seattle Win

Seattle’s Randy Johnson knows he’ll get his share of strikeouts, but he considers quality more important than quantity.

“It’s important to get (strikeouts) at certain times,� Johnson said after striking out 11 Brewers in the Mariners’ 6-1 victory Wednesday at Milwaukee. “I was in jams early in the game and when I got them . . . they came at key times.�

Johnson (7-3) gave up six hits in eight innings, walked four, hit one batter and threw two wild pitches. But the strikeouts pushed his major league leading total to 108. He struck out Greg Vaughn four times en route to his first victory since May 16 when he threw a one-hitter against Oakland. Norm Charlton pitched the ninth for Seattle.

Bill Wegman (4-9) gave up 14 hits in a complete-game loss, his fifth in seven decisions. The Brewers scored a total of seven runs in those losses.

The victory was the first in six games for Seattle on its current nine-game trip.

Milwaukee’s B.J. Surhoff extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games with a bunt single in the fourth inning. It tied him with Chicago’s Lance Johnson for the longest hitting streak this season in the American League.

Cleveland 3, Boston 2--Wayne Kirby homered and three Cleveland pitchers combined on a seven-hitter as the Indians beat the Red Sox, ending Danny Darwin’s personal five-game winning streak.

The Red Sox have lost four consecutive games and seven of their last eight games.

Darwin (5-5) had gone 5-0 with a 1.13 ERA in seven starts before Wednesday’s game at Cleveland. He gave up three runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Cleveland starter Mike Bielecki gave up one run and four hits in 4 2/3 innings, but was pulled by Manager Mike Hargrove because of control problems one out before qualifying for the victory. Bielecki hit one batter and walked three.

Cliff Young (2-2) followed and pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

Baltimore 7, Oakland 4--Mark McLemore had a career-high five hits and drove in three runs as the Orioles beat Bob Welch and the Athletics at Baltimore. It was the Orioles’ seventh consecutive victory.

McLemore went five for five and scored three runs for the Orioles, who had not gone 6-0 on a home stand since August 1980. Baltimore swept Seattle before becoming the first team this season to record a three-game sweep of the A’s.

Baltimore got four runs and nine hits in six innings against Welch (4-5), who was 6-0 with a 2.69 ERA in nine starts against Baltimore since April 1989.

Ruben Sierra and Dale Sveum homered for the A’s, who have lost nine of 11.

Baltimore starter Rick Sutcliffe (6-2) earned the win.

Detroit 7, Chicago 4--David Wells, released by Toronto in spring training, won for the seventh time in eight decisions.

The Tigers have won five of their last seven games, including two of three against Chicago.

Wells (7-1) pitched five innings and gave up four runs and seven hits at Chicago. Mike Henneman replaced Bill Krueger in the ninth and earned his 12th save.

Alan Trammell and Travis Fryman each drove in two runs for Detroit.

Wilson Alvarez (5-2), winless in his last four starts, gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Kansas City 10, New York 3--Rookie Phil Hiatt drove in five runs with three hits to help the Royals rout the Yankees.

Hiatt, in a three-for-25 slump, hit a 1-1 pitch from Jim Abbott (4-7) into the Royals Stadium right-field bullpen for his fifth homer after Harvey Pulliam doubled leading off the sixth inning.

“I wouldn’t have hit that pitch a week ago,� said Hiatt, a last-minute addition to the Royal roster this year when Keith Miller was put on the disabled list on opening day.

“The past couple of days I’ve been pressing too much,� he said. “I’m starting to get my swing back. I just tried to go out there and play my game tonight and get my swing back. The fact I was able to hit that pitch is a good indication.�

Hiatt was pressed into duty at third base when Miller was injured and was practically the Royals’ only offense as Kansas City struggled early in the season. He is tied with Mike Macfarlane for the club lead in runs batted in with 30 despite the slump.

Kansas City starter Hipolito Pichardo (4-2) survived a shaky effort to earn a victory for the first time in five decisions. He pitched five innings, giving up three runs and nine hits before Tom Gordon, Jeff Montgomery and Rusty Meacham finished.

Abbott left after Hiatt’s homer, giving up six runs and eight hits.