AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pettitte Hot and Cool for Yankees

Andy Pettitte shows none of the characteristics of a rookie pitcher in the middle of a playoff race.

For one thing, he doesn’t look nervous on the mound. Second, the left-hander is throwing the ball so well that it seems as if he has been around for years.

Pettitte won his fourth consecutive start Thursday night as the New York Yankees moved into a tie with Seattle in the American League wild-card race by beating the Orioles, 5-4, in Baltimore.

Pettitte (10-8) gave up four runs and seven hits in 8 1/3 innings. John Wetteland finished for his 25th save.

Pettitte is 4-0 with a 2.38 earned-run average in his last four starts after going six outings without a victory. His 10 wins are the most by a Yankee rookie since Ron Davis went 14-2 in 1979.

“He was outstanding again,� Manager Buck Showalter said.

Bernie Williams homered for the Yankees, who have won eight of their last 10 games.

Cleveland 5, Boston 3--Orel Hershiser (14-6) won for the seventh time in eight decisions and Manny Ramirez reached 100 RBIs in the victory at Cleveland.

The Indians, who rested several regulars, won for the 18th time in 22 games and reached the 90-victory plateau for the first time since 1955.

Boston, which began the night with a magic number of six for clinching the AL East over New York, lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Milwaukee 6, Detroit 3--Rookie Steve Sparks struck out a season-high 10 and John Jaha and Fernando Vina homered as the Brewers won at Tiger Stadium for the first time in seven games this season.

Sparks gave up five hits and four walks in 7 1/3 innings and struck out the side three times. Mike Fetters pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Kansas City 5, Oakland 4--Michael Tucker’s two-run double off Dennis Eckersley lifted the Royals at Oakland.

Eckersley, who has seven blown saves in 35 chances this year, walked pinch-hitter David Howard and Keith Lockhart to begin the ninth. It was the first time Eckersley walked consecutive batters this season.

Both runners advanced on Greg Gagne’s fly to center and scored on Tucker’s shot over right fielder Jose Herrera.

Texas 6, Toronto 1--Bobby Witt pitched seven-hit ball and struck out 12 over eight-plus innings at Toronto to help the Rangers win their fifth in a row and move within one game of New York and Seattle in the wild-card race.

Witt’s 12 strikeouts were a season high for the Rangers.