Toronto Rookies Hammer Oakland

American League

Alex Gonzalez was the best Toronto Blue Jays rookie on Saturday afternoon. But a couple of others weren’t far behind.

Gonzalez homered twice and drove in four runs, Tomas Perez hit his first major-league homer and Giovanni Carrara won his first big-league start as Toronto exploded for a season-high 18 runs and beat Oakland 18-11.

Carrara (1-0) was called up from Class AAA Syracuse after the Blue Jays traded David Cone to the New York Yankees on Friday. Cone had been scheduled to start.

Angels 4, Brewers 0

Milwaukee

Jim Abbott made a successful return for California, allowing only four hits in six innings to lead the Angels past Milwaukee.

Abbott (7-4), acquired Thursday by the A.L. West-leading Angels in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, faced the Brewers for the third time in the last 16 days. He threw 90 pitches, 55 for strikes, retired 18 out of 22 batters and didn’t allow a runner past second base.

Red Sox 7, Rangers 1

Arlington, Texas

Bill Haselman’s first career grand slam broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning to back Tim Wakefield’s six-hit pitching, and Boston went on to hand fading Texas its 12th loss in 13 games.

Wakefield (11-1) won his seventh straight in his fifth complete game. He struck out seven and walked three while lowering his ERA to a major-league best 1.58.

White Sox 7, Orioles 4

Baltimore

Bobby Bonilla failed to hit a ball out of the infield in his debut with Baltimore while Chicago got two homers from former Oriole Mike Devereaux.

Bonilla, obtained Friday night in a trade with the New York Mets, received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd before his first trip to the plate. He proceeded to strike out on three pitches, stranding two runners.

The six-time All-Star also grounded out with two outs and runners on first and third in the seventh inning with the Orioles trailing 5-4. Bonilla was 0 for 4 with three groundouts.

Yankees 4, Twins 2

Minneapolis

David Cone won his Yankees debut, thanks to a fly ball lost in the Metrodome ceiling, as New York beat Minnesota.

Mike Stanley’s easy, bases-loaded pop dropped untouched by center fielder Rich Becker and scored three runs as the Yankees overcame an early 2-0 deficit.

Cone (10-6), acquired Friday from Toronto for three minor-league pitchers, pitched eight innings and allowed six hits and two runs. He struck out nine and walked four.

Royals 5, Tigers 4 (16)

Kansas City, Mo

Jon Nunnally homered with one out in the bottom of the 16th inning for Kansas City’s first extra-base hit after 21 singles, giving the Royals a victory over Detroit.

Detroit was held hitless over the final nine innings of the 4-hour, 35-minute game in which the two teams used 40 players.

Clearing the bases

The earring was gone, a small concession Bobby Bonilla was happy to make as he stepped into a pennant race for the first time since his days with the Pittsburgh Pirates years ago.

The 32-year-old slugger promptly met with general manager Roland Hemond, who laid down the rules dictated by owner Peter Angelos.

“I can wear earrings anytime after the game, but he said the big guy doesn’t like them on the field,” Bonilla said. “I said, ‘All right, you got it, no problem.”’

The Texas Rangers, who were hoping to add one starting pitcher for the pennant race, may now need two.

Bob Tewksbury, second among Rangers starters in wins and ERA, could miss the rest of the season because of a stress fracture of a left rib.

Tewksbury could miss six to to 12 weeks.