AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Johnson Throws Two-Hitter; Mariners Win, 12-0

Randy Johnson insisted he had a hard day, even though it might not have looked that tough.

Johnson pitched a two-hitter for his second consecutive shutout, leading the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins, 12-0, Monday at Minneapolis.

Johnson (6-3) struck out 10 and walked two in winning his fourth consecutive start. He extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings, including a four-hit, 1-0 victory Wednesday at Oakland.

“That was a lot of work today,” he said. “The Twins are a good-hitting team. They’ve got little guys who get on base, then the heart of their order is as tough as anybody’s.”

Keith Mitchell hit his first two home runs of the season, doubled and drove in five runs. Seattle finished with 17 hits, 10 for extra bases.

Carlos Pulido (2-5) entered the game with a 4.93 ERA, lowest on the Twins’ staff. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits. Dave Stevens relieved and gave up six runs and seven hits.

Boston 6, Kansas City 5--Andy Tomberlin’s pinch-hit home run in the eighth at Boston tied the game and Damon Berryhill’s one-out double off the left field wall in the 10th won it.

Tomberlin’s homer, his first in the American League, barely cleared the Green Monster in left field and just stayed fair.

Tomberlin’s homer came one out after Mike Greenwell’s solo homer over the Kansas City bullpen in right field pulled the Red Sox within a run. Tomberlin, hitting .167 at the time, was the first batter Jeff Montgomery faced.

“When he hit the ball I thought it was foul, but the wind must have blown it back over the fence,” Montgomery said.

Tomberlin’s only previous major league homer came last year for Pittsburgh.

Scott Cooper and Tomberlin, who stayed in the game as a designated hitter, singled in the 10th before Berryhill’s game-winning double off Hipolito Pichardo (0-2). Ken Ryan (1-0) pitched two innings for the victory.

Wally Joyner’s three-run homer helped the Royals take a 5-3 lead into the eighth.

Chicago 7, New York 2--Scott Sanderson limited the Yankees to four hits in seven innings and Darrin Jackson hit a three-run homer to carry the White Sox at New York.

Sanderson (4-0) gave up a seventh-inning solo homer to Daryl Boston, struck out one and walked none before being relieved by Dane Johnson, who made his major league debut in the eighth.

Jackson’s homer off Jim Abbott (6-3) came with one out in the fourth after the pitcher walked Bob Zupcic before being struck by a line drive by Frank Thomas that became an infield single.

After a five-minute delay, Abbott, who was struck in the left thigh, remained in the game and retired Julio Franco on a fly to right before Jackson hit his seventh homer. Abbott had won five in a row.

Detroit 5, Baltimore 3--Travis Fryman doubled in Chris Gomez with the go-ahead run in the 11th inning at Baltimore as the Tigers, held scoreless for eight innings, rallied to beat the Orioles.

Tony Phillips and Mickey Tettleton homered for the Tigers, who sent the game into extra innings by scoring twice in the ninth against Baltimore closer Lee Smith. Smith had saved 20 of 21 games, including eight straight.

Oakland 6, Toronto 2--The Athletics scored five runs in the ninth inning at Oakland to end a four-game losing streak. Brent Gates’ RBI double made the score 2-1 and Mike Huff’s pinch-hit homer, his first, in the ninth off Vince Horsman made it 6-2.

Rookie Mark Acre (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for his first major league victory.