AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : It Takes Time, but White Sox Catch the Indians

After a month-long chase of the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago White Sox are back on top in the Central Division. And in this season of uncertainty, they know how important that can be.

“You’d be kidding yourself to say this is not a big series. It’s big when you are going to play another team eight times in 11 games for first. You don’t know when the strike is going to happen, if it happens,� Chicago’s Alex Fernandez said after the White Sox won the opener of the division showdown Thursday night at Cominsky Park, 6-3.

Fernandez, pitching on eight days rest, struck out a career-high 12.

Fernandez gave up three runs in the first two innings and then got stronger, retiring 13 in a row at one point. He finished with a seven-hitter.

“Twelve strikeouts are 12 outs that I got personally by myself. But strikeouts can be overrated. I knew I had a few but I didn’t know the number. I was just worried about getting the outs,� he said.

The White Sox were last in first when they were tied with the Indians on June 13. They now lead them by one game, and the teams will meet seven more times in the next 10 days and then not again in the regular season. Chicago is 4-1 against Cleveland this season.

Robin Ventura’s third hit on his 27th birthday was a blooper to left off reliever Derek Lilliquist, capping a two-run rally in the seventh, as the White Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit for their seventh consecutive victory.

Trailing 3-2 in the seventh against Charles Nagy, the White Sox loaded the bases on singles by Norberto Martin and Tim Raines and a walk to Frank Thomas. Julio Franco hit a sacrifice fly, and Ventura hit an 0-2 pitch to score Raines.

Boston 2, Oakland 1--Roger Clemens pitched his 11th career two-hitter to lead the Red Sox at Oakland.

Clemens (8-4), who has won three Cy Young awards but never pitched a no-hitter, didn’t yield a hit until Ruben Sierra led off the seventh by grounding a single through the hole into right. He was within two outs of his second career one-hitter when Troy Neel his his 11th homer.

Boston scored in the fifth and again in the seventh, and that was more than enough run support for Clemens, who has thrown three two-hitters this season.

Texas 7, Toronto 3--Dean Palmer, one of the hittest hitters in the majors, doubled in one run and Manuel Lee doubled in two during a four-run second inning at Arlington, Tex.

Palmer, who also hit his 18th homer, is 24-for-64 (.375) in his last 17 games, with 10 homers and 20 RBIs.

The Rangers, who have a four-game lead in the Western Division, have won eight of their last 12.

Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 4--Jeff Cirillo, the Brewers’ 11th-round draft choice in 1991 out of USC, hit a two-run, pinch-hit double with one out in the ninth inning at Minneapolis.

Turner Ward and Matt Mieske both hit one-out singles before Cirillo, who was batting only .107 (3-for-28) since being called up from triple-A New Orleans, got his game-winning hit off reliever Mark Guthrie.

Michael Ignasiak (3-1) pitched two innings of shutout relief for the victory. Mike Fetters got the final three outs for his 10th save.

Kansas City 5, Detroit 2--Kevin Appier yielded two hits in the first inning and nothing else through eight to lead the Royals at Kansas City.

Appier (6-6) gave up a leadoff single by Tony Phillips and a two-run homer by Travis Fryman, but did not give up another hit to improve his career record against the Tigers to 9-1.

Wally Joyner, who missed 16 games with a sore shoulder, went had two doubles and two RBIs in his first game since coming off the disabled list.

New York 10, Seattle 8--The Yankees scored four times in the ninth inning at the Kingdome.

Paul O’Neill’s two run double tied the score at 8-8 and a two-run double by Mike Stanley scored four runs in the ninth.