AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Indians Lose, 4-3, in Front of 1,695 Loyal Fans

Some of the Boston Red Sox were disgusted and others were amused at the minuscule crowd Monday night. None of them, however, let it bother them.

The Red Sox blew a three-run lead but came back to win their sixth consecutive game on Tom Brunansky’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly, beating the Indians, 4-3, before the smallest crowd at Cleveland Stadium in 17 years.

Only 1,695 fans attended at 74,483-seat ballpark. The game, not on the teams’ original schedules, was a makeup of an April 19 rainout. Despite special pricing on tickets, it drew the smallest Cleveland crowd since 1,564 watched a game against Oakland on April 24, 1974.

“I played in front of crowds like that when I was at Minnesota,” Brunansky said. “I feel sorry for the players of Cleveland to have to play in front of crowds like that. Major league baseball doesn’t deserve crowds like that.”

The Red Sox matched their longest winning streak of the season and moved within five games of AL East-leading Toronto, which was idle. Cleveland has lost five in a row.

Greg Harris (11-11) got the win in relief despite allowing the tying run in the seventh inning. Jeff Reardon pitched the ninth for his 37th save.

Boston broke the 3-3 tie in the ninth. Shawn Hillegas (3-4) walked Tony Pena, and Luis Rivera sacrificed him to second. Wade Boggs was walked intentionally, and after a passed ball, Jody Reed was walked intentionally, loading the bases.

Brunansky followed with the game-winning sacrifice fly, barely deep enough to let Pena slide home safely.

Minnesota 10, Kansas City 4--Slumping Dan Gladden tripled home two runs in a four-run fifth inning at Kansas City and the Twins won their fourth game in a row in a game delayed 1 1/2 hours by rain.

Tom Edens (1-1) went five innings for the victory, walking three and striking out five. Kansas City starter Mike Boddicker (11-11) gave up five runs and eight hits.

Neither starter returned after the game was delayed with one out in the top of the sixth.

Gary Wayne pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-hit relief for his first save.

Chicago 7, Oakland 1--Alex Fernandez pitched a three-hitter and Lance Johnson went four for four at Oakland to lead the White Sox past the Athletics.

Fernandez (8-12) struck out nine and walked two in his second complete game of the season. Other than Mike Gallego, who homered in the fifth, only one Oakland runner reached second base.

Dan Pasqua hit a home run, Sammy Sosa had two hits and two RBIs and Bo Jackson went two for four with a run before leaving the game in the seventh inning for a pinch-runner.

Baltimore 8, New York 0--Bob Milacki’s mastery over the Yankees continued as he pitched a five-hitter and shut out the Yankees at Baltimore.

Milacki (9-8) struck out five and walked one in his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. He is the only Oriole starter with a winning record, and improved to 5-0 lifetime against the Yankees.

Chito Martinez hit a two-run homer, his 11th homer of the season, against Scott Sanderson (14-9) in the fifth inning to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead.

The Orioles added two more runs in the fifth, helped by third baseman Pat Kelly’s throwing error. Brady Anderson hit a two-run double in front of right fielder Hensley Meulens.

The Orioles scored four more in sixth off reliever Dave Eiland, aided by two more errors by Kelly.