AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Morris Helps Twins to a Record Month

The Minnesota Twins concluded their best June ever on a winning note and, not surprisingly, it was Jack Morris who helped them do it.

Morris pitched a six-hitter as the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-0, at Minneapolis.

Morris (11-5) struck out three and walked one for his first shutout since Sept. 23 against Oakland. It was the 25th of his career.

He also ended the Twins’ four-game losing streak. Minnesota finished June with a 22-6 record. The Twins won 15 in a row and 21 of 23 at one stretch.

“It was a great month,” Morris said. “It went from being in a battle to get over .500 to first place, and we did it in one month. We’re happy where we’re at, and now we’re going to try to stay there.”

Jack McDowell (9-4), who pitched 7 1/3 no-hit innings against Seattle on Tuesday, gave up three runs and nine hits in 7 1/3 innings against the Twins, striking out five and walking one. McDowell lost for the first time in six starts since May 30. He retired the first 11 batters before Kirby Puckett’s fourth-inning single.

Chicago’s three-game winning streak ended as the White Sox lost for only the second time in 10 games.

New York 8, Milwaukee 6--Alvaro Espinoza’s two-run double capped a seven-run seventh inning at Milwaukee as the Yankees staged their second big comeback in as many games.

The Yankees, who rallied for six runs in the final two innings of Saturday night’s 9-8 victory, scored six runs Sunday with two out in the seventh.

Espinoza, who had a fifth-inning homer, started the rally with a single. Steve Sax doubled and Don Mattingly singled with two out to make it 6-3 and finish Brewer starter Bill Wegman.

Mark Knudson gave up a single to Mel Hall and a two-run double to Kevin Maas, making it 6-5. Mark Lee (0-3) then gave up a game-tying single to Matt Nokes, pinch-hitter Jesse Barfield was walked intentionally and Espinoza drove his double to the fence in left-center field.

Greg Cadaret (2-3) pitched 4 2/3 innings. Steve Howe went 2 1/3 innings and Steve Farr got two outs for his 10th save.

Candy Maldonado hit a three-run homer for Milwaukee.

Toronto 6, Seattle 1--Todd Stottlemyre came within an out of his first major league shutout and finished with a four-hitter at Toronto to give the Blue Jays their ninth victory in 11 games.

Stottlemyre (9-3) took a two-hitter into the ninth, then gave up a single to Harold Reynolds and a run-scoring double to Pete O’Brien.

Stottlemyre struck out two and walked one in the fifth complete game of his career, his first since July 13.

Brian Holman (7-8) gave up five runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings as Seattle lost for the sixth time in eight games.

Oakland 3, Kansas City 2--Jose Canseco hit a three-run homer at Oakland to give the Athletics their second consecutive victory after a four-game losing streak.

Mike Moore (9-6), Rick Honeycutt, Gene Nelson and Dennis Eckersley combined on a five-hitter that sent the Royals to their eighth loss in nine games. Eckersley got three outs for his 22nd save in 24 chances.

Moore gave up two runs and four hits in five innings, his shortest outing since May 17.

Tom Gordon (4-6) lost his fourth consecutive decision, giving up three runs and five hits in seven innings.

Canseco gave the A’s a 3-0 lead in the third with his 18th home run. Mike Gallego and Rickey Henderson walked, Earnest Riles forced Gallego at third, and Canseco hit an 0-2 pitch from Gordon a dozen rows into the left-field bleachers.

Bill Pecota homered for the Royals.

Baltimore 6, Boston 4--Carlos Quintana, making his first outfield start in more than a year, dropped Cal Ripken’s fly ball in the sixth inning at Baltimore, allowing two runs to score.

With the score tied, 4-4, Joe Orsulak singled against Joe Hesketh (2-1) and Bill Ripken got a bunt single off Dennis Lamp, who then struck out Mike Devereaux and pinch-hitter Sam Horn. Ripken followed with his fly to Quintana in right. Quintana, who began his professional career as an outfielder, was as making his first start in the outfield since May 30, 1990.

Mark Williamson (3-2) pitched two innings and Gregg Olson finished for his 15th save in 19 chances.

Cal Ripken and Randy Milligan homered consecutively in the fifth inning, the second consecutive game in which both homered. Ripken drove in two runs with his 17th homer; Milligan’s homer was his ninth.

Mo Vaughn and Mike Greenwell homered for the Red Sox.

Detroit 4, Cleveland 1--The Tigers swept a three-game series at Detroit as Walt Terrell (4-8) gave up eight hits in seven innings and won for the first time since June 8.

Lou Whitaker homered for the Tigers in the first inning.