Chisox Slam, Crash Their Way To Win
American League
Albert Belle hit a grand slam, doubled and drove in five runs Sunday as the Chicago White Sox completed a four-game sweep of visiting Oakland, beating the Athletics 8-5.
The White Sox won despite a violent collision in which right fielder Lyle Mouton broke a bone in his face and center fielder Dave Martinez sustained a slight concussion. Both players were taken to a hospital for tests.
Belle, who went 3 for 3 with a sacrifice fly, lined his eighth career grand slam after the Athletics elected to intentionally walk Frank Thomas with runners at second and third in the third.
Chicago trailed 2-0 entering the inning but loaded the bases on a walk to Chad Kreuter and singles by Ozzie Guillen and Tony Phillips. Ray Durham hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 before the intentional walk to Thomas and Belle’s sixth homer of the season.
Wilson Alvarez (2-4) allowed six hits in seven innings and matched a career high with 12 strikeouts. Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Oakland lost its season-high fifth in a row. It was Chicago’s first four-game sweep of the A’s since September 1987.
Yankees 3, Royals 2
New York
David Wells warmed up while his teammates received their 1996 World Series championship rings, then pitched into the ninth inning for New York.
Bernie Williams went 3 for 4 with his sixth homer as the Yankees won for the 16th time in 21 games.
Wells (4-1) carried a two-hit shutout into the eighth before giving up two hits, an RBI groundout to Craig Paquette and a run-scoring single to pinch-hitter Joe Vitiello.
Brewers 5, Angels 2
Milwaukee
Ben McDonald beat the Angels for the 12th time in 16 career decisions and Milwaukee handed Anaheim its fifth straight loss.
Doug Jones pitched the ninth inning for his eighth save of the season and 250th of his career, which began in 1982. He is the 11th reliever to reach 250 saves.
McDonald (4-2) scattered eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 5-2/3 innings. He was relieved by Ron Villone after Darin Erstad’s RBI single pulled the Angels to 5-2 with two outs in the sixth.
Rangers 8, Red Sox 6
Boston
Rookie Julio Santana, replacing injured starter Roger Pavlik, pitched 5-2/3 innings for his first major-league win as Texas beat Boston to complete a three-game sweep.
Lee Stevens drove in three runs for the Rangers, who led 8-2 in the seventh.
Pavlik was scratched Sunday morning because of elbow problems, and Santana (1-0) made his first big-league start, allowing seven hits, striking out four and walked three.
John Wetteland recorded four outs for his eighth save in nine chances.
Tigers 11, Indians 3
Detroit
Tony Clark homered twice as Detroit sent Orel Hershiser to his first loss in eight starts this season.
Phil Nevin and Damion Easley homered, and Bobby Higginson hit three doubles for Detroit. The Indians, 12-0 against the Tigers last season, have lost three of five to Detroit this year.
Blue Jays 3, Twins 2
Minneapolis
Jacob Brumfield scored from second base on a infield grounder to snap a 1-1 tie, then threw out the potential tying run in the bottom of the ninth.
Brumfield singled to left in the fifth inning and moved to second on an infield single by Carlos Garcia. He was running on the pitch when Otis Nixon grounded a slow chopper to Chuck Knoblauch at second.
Clearing the bases
Bobby Higginson is the first Tiger to hit three doubles in a game since Lou Whitaker on June 11, 1994, at California… . Angels DH Eddie Murray didn’t play, leaving him two games short of becoming only the sixth player to play 3,000 games… . Texas is 5-0 when Damon Buford hits leadoff… . Boston is 1-8 when Wil Cordero is hitless… . New York’s Dwight Gooden will make a rehab start today against the club’s Triple-A Columbus affiliate.