AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Red Sox Pull to Within One Game of Blue Jays

The Blue Jays returned to Toronto after a 9-1 trip, the best in the team’s history, feeling they were ready to break open the race in the American League East.

But the Boston Red Sox, behind rookie pitcher Dana Kiecker, beat the Blue Jays, 4-2, and moved to within a game of first place.

Kiecker gave up only three hits and two unearned runs in 8 1/3 innings. But the unearned runs meant the Red Sox had to win it in the ninth.

With the score 2-2, Toronto relief pitcher Duane Ward walked Dwight Evans to open the ninth. Ellis Burks hit a triple to center field past a diving Mookie Wilson to break the tie, and Burks scored on an infield out by Tony Pena as the Red Sox won their 12th in the last 17 games.

Rob Murphy relieved Kiecker and struck out the last two Blue Jays, Fred McGriff and John Olerud.

“I figure I learned a few things in seven years in the minors, “ Kiecker (2-3) said. “But I would have enjoyed pitching a complete game.

“I had a good fastball and when I retired 15 in a row I thought I could do it. The big thing is, we won.”

In his last three starts, Kiecker, 29, has pitched 20 1/3 innings and has not given up more than one hit in any of those innings.

“That was a giant win,” Murphy said. “Every win is a big one, but now we’re only one game back of Toronto instead of three. I had my mechanics going for me. All of a sudden the strikes were coming and the outs followed.”

Detroit 7, Oakland 6--Perhaps his knee was bothering him, because it was not the Dave Stewart the Athletics have come to rely on who took the mound at Detroit.

Stewart (9-5) gave up a three-run home run to Alan Trammell in the first inning and the Tigers scored seven runs against him in the first four innings.

Ordinarily, six runs is easily enough for Stewart, who is trying to become a 20-game winner for the fourth consecutive season.

The Hendersons, Dave and Rickey, hit home runs, but Paul Gibson and Mike Henneman stopped them for the last 5 1/3 innings.

The Tigers have won six of their last seven games and are only 5 1/2 games out of first place in the East.

It was the second game in a row in which Trammell hit a three-run home run in the first inning. The Athletics gave an intentional pass to Trammell to load the bases in the fourth, but Cecil Fielder singled in two runs, and the Tigers were in front to stay.

“We had to try to set up the double play,” Manager Tony LaRussa of the Athletics said. “We thought Fielder might hit it on the ground. He did, but not at anybody.”

Cleveland 5, Baltimore 4--Light-hitting Felix Fermin doubled off relief ace Gregg Olson and scored the winning run in the ninth at Cleveland on Sandy Alomar’s single.

Fermin, who is batting .217, had had only seven extra-base hits in 138 previous at-bats. The double was only the third extra-base hit off Olson this season.

The Indians have won four in a row and the Orioles have lost six of their last seven.

Texas 5, Minnesota 4--Pete Incaviglia hit a 411-foot home run in the seventh inning at Arlington, Tex., to hand the Twins their 11th loss in the last 12 games.

Incaviglia’s 11th home run made a winner of Brad Arnsberg, who pitched a hitless inning. Kenny Rogers earned his fourth save.

The Twins had scored two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the score.

Kansas City 2, Seattle 1--Kevin Seitzer tripled home the winning run at Kansas City and the Mariners stranded 12 baserunners.

The Royals used five pitchers, with Steve Farr (5-3) going the first five.

Seitzer’s triple scored Frank White, who had singled to make the score 2-0 in the second inning.

The Mariners loaded the bases in the seventh with two outs, but second baseman White robbed Pete O’Brien of a hit to retire the side.

New York 5, Milwaukee 1--The punchless Yankees built a four-run lead for only the third time in their last 23 games and won at Milwaukee. There were two rain delays.

Chuck Cary (4-2) gave up five hits but no runs in six innings, leaving the game after the first rain delay.

Mel Hall hit a two-run home run for the Yankees, who ended a four-game losing streak. The Yankees have won only five of their last 23; the Brewers have won only eight of their last 27.