AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Valenzuela Extends Streak to Four, 5-1

After yet another victory by Fernando Valenzuela, Baltimore Oriole Manager Johnny Oates was prepared for reporters’ questions about his new ace.

After Valenzuela beat the Minnesota Twins, 5-1, on Friday night at Minneapolis, Oates held up two sheets of paper. The first said: “Yes, I’m a little surprised he’s pitching this well.� The second said: “He just made a number of good pitches.�

The way Valenzuela has been pitching--4-0 since June 30 with an 0.65 earned-run average over 41 2/3 innings--Oates is going to be asked a lot more about Valenzuela.

For his part, Valenzuela credits team chemistry and Oates’ faith in him.

“Everyone is playing together, and when we get to the field, everyone takes it seriously,� Valenzuela said. “When somebody believes in you like the Orioles have and Johnny Oates has, that gives me a lot of confidence. I think that’s the difference. Now I want to pitch. Just keep throwing the ball.�

In the eighth inning, David McCarty hit a one-out double and scored on Chuck Knoblauch’s double to end Valenzuela’s shutout bid.

Valenzuela (6-7) also ended a four-game Minnesota winning streak and beat the Twins for the second time in six days.

Kansas City 7, Detroit 6--Wally Joyner had two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs to lead the Royals at Detroit, their 22nd comeback victory of the season.

It was the fifth loss in a row for the Tigers, who have lost 22 of their last 29 games but are still in the American League East race.

Royal starter Hipolito Pichardo (5-6) ended a personal four-game losing streak. He gave up six runs and 11 hits in the first six innings. Mark Gubicza pitched two innings and Jeff Montgomery got the final three outs for his 29th save.

Milwaukee 3, Chicago 2--Greg Vaughn’s two-run homer in the ninth inning lifted the Brewers at Chicago, ending Milwaukee’s seven-game losing streak.

With the Brewers trailing, 2-1, entering the ninth, Darryl Hamilton led off with a single against Scott Radinsky. After Roberto Hernandez (1-4) relieved Radinsky, Vaughn hit a 3-2 pitch over the center-field fence for his 20th home run.

Jesse Orosco (1-2) pitched one-plus innings for his first victory of the season and Doug Henry got the final three outs for his 17th save.

Boston 6, Oakland 5--Bob Zupcic’s run-scoring double high off the left-field wall with two out in the 10th inning lifted the Red Sox at Boston for their eighth consecutive victory.

Billy Hatcher singled with one out against Rich Gossage (4-5) and stole second. Mike Greenwell, who tied the score with a two-run homer in the eighth against Dennis Eckersley, struck out before Zupcic, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning, won the game.

The victory put first-place Boston one percentage point ahead of Toronto and New York in the American League East. The Red Sox were 11 1/2 games out on June 22.

The Athletics scored three in the top of the eighth, with Brent Gates hitting a homer for the final two runs, and brought on Eckersley to face the Red Sox in the bottom of the eighth.

Texas 6, Toronto 5--Pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning infield single to cap a three-run rally by the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

The Rangers have won nine of their last 12 games to move within 1 1/2 games of first-place Chicago in the American League West. The loss dropped Toronto one percentage point behind Boston atop the East.

Cleveland 9, Seattle 4--Carlos Baerga had four hits, two RBIs and stole home to lead the Indians at Cleveland.

The Indians scored eight runs against Randy Johnson in the first two innings and ended Seattle’s three-game winning streak.

Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. homered for the fourth consecutive game, the second time he has done that this season. He has 26 homers.