AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McDowell Picks Up Win No. 11

Jack McDowell recorded his major league-leading 11th victory Monday night by pitching the Chicago White Sox past the Texas Rangers, 7-6, and into a first-place tie in the American League West.

Home runs by Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura helped McDowell (11-4) and the White Sox take a 7-2 lead. But McDowell’s throwing error helped the Rangers score four runs in the seventh inning.

“It wasn’t super, but it was the kind of game you’re supposed to win,� McDowell said. “I didn’t have super stuff, but I didn’t throw that poorly.�

The victory, coupled with the Angels’ 4-3 win over Kansas City, left the White Sox tied with the Royals and Angels.

Thomas hit a three-run homer, his 13th, capping a four-run second inning. Ventura hit his 12th against Kevin Brown (5-6) in the fifth inning.

It was the fourth consecutive victory for McDowell, who gave up eight hits, struck out two and walked one.

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Cleveland 3, Milwaukee 0--Tommy Kramer pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings and Carlos Baerga and Albert Belle homered to lead the Indians at Cleveland.

Kramer (3-2) outpitched Jaime Navarro and sent the Brewers to their third loss in a row, limiting them to four hits, walking three and striking out four. Jeremy Hernandez got the last five outs, fanning four, for his second save.

Navarro (5-4) gave up three runs and eight hits in his third complete game but saw his five-game winning streak end.

Baerga led off the fourth inning with his 13th home run, hitting it inside the foul pole in right field. He has hit safely in 22 of his last 24 games and shares the team lead in RBIs with 58.

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Boston 6, Minnesota 3--Billy Hatcher hit a three-run homer to help the Red Sox end a four-game losing streak at Boston in a game that was stopped for more than two hours in the fifth inning because of rain.

The loss was the seventh in a row for Minnesota, which has been outscored, 43-15, during its slump.

Hatcher’s home run, his third of the year, went over the left-field wall. The fourth-inning shot drove in Mo Vaughn and John Valentin.

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Oakland 5, Seattle 3--Craig Paquette hit a two-run single in the eighth inning to lift the Athletics at Seattle.

The A’s have beaten Seattle in 15 of 17 games.

Kevin Seitzer and Terry Steinbach opened the eighth with singles against Rich DeLucia (2-4) and pinch-hitter Lance Blankenship sacrificed. Reliever Jeff Nelson intentionally walked pinch-hitter Mike Aldrete and Paquette singled to left field.

Steinbach doubled home an insurance run in the ninth.

Storm Davis (2-5) got the victory by working the seventh. Dennis Eckersley pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

The Mariners had their three-game winning streak ended despite the third two-run homer in two days by Ken Griffey Jr.