AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Grand Slam, 7 RBIs for Yankees’ Williams

The box score on Bernie Williams’ big game Monday night against the Texas Rangers shows his seven runs batted in and two home runs, including a grand slam.

What’s left out--even though it’s more important, according to New York Yankee Manager Buck Showalter--was the running catch he made to end a rally in the fifth inning and the RBI single he had in the eighth of a 17-7 victory at Arlington, Tex.

“That catch and base hit were the two key plays in the game,” Showalter said. “Some people lose sight of that. I don’t.”

Williams’ eruption allowed Jimmy Key (8-1) to win his seventh consecutive game and tie Kansas City’s David Cone and Ben McDonald of Baltimore for the American League lead with eight wins.

The Yankees jumped ahead 10-0 in the fourth after a two-run homer by Williams and a three-run shot by Wade Boggs.

Key was cruising, too, until he allowed two runs in the fourth. Then Texas erupted for four in the fifth, three of them after an error by Boggs at third base, to make it 10-6.

“I told myself they’re going to have to have a lot of hits to beat me and they almost did,” Key said.

The Rangers were threatening to keep the rally going, too, when Rusty Greer hit a soft looper into center that Williams charged, stretched and scooped into the webbing of his mitt.

“You can see the ball off the bat really well here. That helped,” Williams said.

Williams really put the game out of reach in the ninth when he sent a pitch from reliever Darren Oliver sailing over a leaping Greer and into the right field seats for his eighth homer.

Williams entered the game hitting .220, even though he had gone .297 over his last 19 games.

“It’s really nice to have a good game,” said Williams, whose grand slam was the second of his career. “I’ve been trying to stick to my approach to the game and it’s really paying off.”

The switch-hitting Williams homered from both sides of the plate, going to the opposite field both times.

Detroit 11, Boston 5--Tim Belcher, winning for the fourth time in five starts after an 0-7 start, gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings at Detroit.

Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson credited Belcher’s fastball for the improvement.

“There’s a huge difference in his velocity, about six miles an hour,” he said. “He was throwing 82 or 83, now it is 88 or 89, and that’s the fastball they told me about. Maybe he can’t get loose in cold weather.”

Belcher (4-8) said, “The velocity has helped, but the key is that I am throwing strikes. Actually, I prefer cool weather. I don’t think I was having trouble loosening up, I was just psyched out.”

Tony Phillips, who had the first two-homer game of his career Sunday, hit a two-run triple in the fourth inning to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead. Alan Trammell homered and drove in three runs for the Tigers.

Boston lost its fourth in a row and also lost starting second baseman Tim Naehring for about a week with a sprained right ankle. Naehring tripped over the ridge between the dirt and the outfield grass while going back on a fly ball.

Baltimore 4, Kansas City 2--Mike Mussina, 6-1 in 10 starts against the Royals, shut out them out after the second inning at Kansas City, where he is now 4-0.

Mussina (8-3) gave up seven hits, struck out three and walked none in 7 1/3 innings. Lee Smith pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Tom Gordon (5-4) gave up five walks as the Royals lost for the first time in four games.

Seattle 5, Cleveland 4--Felix Fermin hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning at Seattle as the Mariners ended the Indians’ eight-game winning streak.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 23rd homer, most in the majors, and first in eight games.

Eric Anthony, in a one-for-33 slump, opened the eighth with a double and Mike Blowers sacrificed.

Fermin, traded with Reggie Jefferson from Cleveland to Seattle in the offseason for Omar Vizquel, drove in a run with a line drive to center.

Bill Risley (4-2) got the victory by pitching a 1-2-3 eighth and Bobby Ayala earned his seventh save by pitching the ninth.

Milwaukee 9, Oakland 6--Jose Valentin drove in a career-high four runs and Cal Eldred pitched seven strong innings to lead the Brewers at Oakland.

Valentin hit a two-run homer and a two-run single, and Eldred (6-6) won his third consecutive decision. He allowed five runs, three earned, and four hits. Mike Fetters pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Eldred (6-6) won his third consecutive decision, allowing five runs, three earned, and four hits. Mike Fetters pitched the ninth for his sixth save.