Cool Stottlemyre Stops Ice-Cold Angels

American League

Once a master of the on-field temper tantrum, Todd Stottlemyre is learning to channel his aggression into his pitches.

Despite having little more than a solid fastball, Stottlemyre held California to one run on three hits in seven innings Saturday in Oakland, Calif., as the Athletics beat the Angels 5-1.

“I didn’t have a very good breaking ball. I wasn’t very comfortable with my slider or my curveball,” Stottlemyre said. “When you feel you really have only one good pitch, you really have to locate it. It was a battle.”

The A’s are winners of six of seven and are six games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 1992 season.

Stottlemyre (7-1), who got his first home victory since joining the A’s as a free agent during spring training, struck out seven to increase his season total to 96.

Tigers 11, Red Sox 2

Boston

Cecil Fielder hit his 18th and 19th homers and drove in six runs to lead Detroit to a win.

Fielder’s three-run shot in the sixth inning made it 9-0. But the Red Sox, the only team in the majors to have scored in every game this year, got two in the bottom half to spoil the shutout bid.

Orioles 6, Blue Jays 2

Toronto

Rookie Curtis Goodwin hit his first major league home run and Jamie Moyer allowed six hits in 7 innings in Baltimore’s win.

The Blue Jays lost after building their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Twins 6, Indians 5

Minneapolis

Home runs by Pedro Munoz and Marty Cordova keyed a five-run second inning as Minnesota beat Cleveland to end a fivegame losing streak.

Eddie Murray homered and singled twice for the Indians, whose five-game winning streak ended. Murray now has 3,003 career hits and his 12th home run of the season gives him 470.

The Indians’ nine-game margin in the A.L. Central is their largest first-place lead since 1954.

Yankees 3, Brewers 1

Milwaukee

Paul O’Neill singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning New York defeated Milwaukee.

O’Neill’s RBI single came off Mike Fetters, who had relieved Al Reyes (0-1). Danny Tartabull followed with a run-scoring double but O’Neill was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

White Sox 11, Royals 5

Kansas City, Mo.

Frank Thomas helped snap Chicago out of a brief slump with a long two-run home run and Brian Keyser pitched into the ninth inning as Chicago defeated Kansas City.

Kansas City committed three errors in the first three innings and four in the game and issued seven walks to help Chicago along. Only two of the seven runs off Royals starter Tom Gordon (5-4) were earned.

Clearing the bases

The Angels purchased the contract of outfielder Orlando Palmeiro from Vancouver of the Pacific Coast League and optioned catcher Mark Dalesandro to Vancouver. Palmeiro entered the game in the ninth as a pinch hitter and singled for his first hit in the majors… . The Athletics are batting .317 with the bases loaded… . Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley moved into 12th place in career appearances with 875… . Boston’s Mike Greenwell didn’t start for the second game since colliding with center fielder Lee Tinsley on Thursday. Tinsley, who missed a hit-and-run sign on Friday night, was bumped from first to ninth in the order. Boston manager Kevin Kennedy said it was not a punishment.

Detroit’s Chad Curtis extended his hitting streak to 17 games, one short of his career best. Toronto manager Cito Gaston was ejected for arguing a close play at first base in the bottom of the first inning - his fourth ejection of the season.

Don Mattingly has played 1,703 games without a playoff appearance, the most by any Yankee.