AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Red Sox Feast on 10th Consecutive Victory
The Boston Red Sox are playing like a hungry team, and they’re keeping the Oakland Athletics from eating anything at all.
Mo Vaughn hit a grand slam and Frank Viola won at home for the first time since April 18 as the Red Sox beat Oakland, 8-1, Sunday for their 10th consecutive victory, tying the longest winning streak in the American League this season.
Boston, which was written off by some critics when it was 13 games back in fifth place on June 21, has won 25 of 30 to move into first place in the American League East.
“We’re so confident now, we don’t expect to lose,” said Viola (6-8), who had won once in his previous 14 starts. “The way we’re doing it, with a different hero every day, is the way you win divisions, because you have 25 guys doing it.”
Oakland, in last place in the American League West, has lost nine of 10 to fall 15 games below .500 for the first time since Aug. 23, 1986.
After the loss, Manager Tony La Russa canceled the team’s clubhouse meal.
“I don’t see any reason to sit down and enjoy a postgame meal. I’m sure these guys’ stomachs are upset like mine,” La Russa said. “I’m not trying to make a statement. I’m just trying to remind people that it’s not acceptable to lose when you’re not competitive.”
That’s not all La Russa canceled Sunday.
After one week and a 1-6 record, La Russa scrapped his plan of using no pitcher longer than 50 pitches. Under that odd rotation, each pitcher took the mound every third day.
But the Oakland manager allowed starter Bob Welch to throw 69 pitches Sunday.
“We’ve already changed. We’re pitching every fourth day,” La Russa said. “We’ll see if that can win some games.”
Toronto 9, Texas 7--Roberto Alomar’s three-run homer in the ninth inning ruined a Texas comeback at Arlington, Tex., as the Blue Jays moved into a virtual three-way tie for first place.
The Blue Jays are tied with New York and both teams are .001 behind Boston.
Turner Ward and Devon White opened the ninth with singles off Tom Henke (4-3). Alomar then hit a 1-1 pitch off the left-field foul pole for his 11th home run of the season. The blown save was Henke’s fourth in 25 opportunities.
Minnesota 5, Baltimore 2--The Twins’ Shane Mack had three hits and helped Jim Deshaies continue his 1993 Metrodome success.
Deshaies (11-7) improved to 8-1 in the Metrodome this season. In those 10 home starts, he has a 3.77 earned-run average over 62 innings, under his season ERA of 4.66. He worked 5 2/3 innings Sunday, giving up seven hits, three walks and two runs, with five strikeouts.
Rick Aguilera pitched the ninth for his 27th save.
Mack’s two-out double in the seventh scored Pat Meares from first base to extend the Twins’ lead to 4-2.
Milwaukee 7, Chicago 3--Tom Lampkin and Tom Brunansky hit consecutive home runs in a four-run sixth inning, leading Cal Eldred and the Brewers at Chicago.
Greg Vaughn led off the sixth with a triple against Alex Fernandez (12-5) and scored on a single by Dave Nilsson. Lampkin followed with his third homer and Brunansky hit his fourth for a 5-3 lead.
Eldred (11-10) gave up eight hits and one walk, while striking out six in registering his fourth complete game.
Detroit 3, Kansas City 0--Mike Moore pitched a personal-best one-hitter to end a personal six-game winless streak and lift the Tigers at Detroit.
Wally Joyner’s one-out single in the second was the only hit against Moore (6-5). David Cone (6-10) gave up only four hits, but walked six in 7 2/3 innings as Kansas City’s winning streak ended at four games.
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