Belle Hits 50th Hr In Cleveland Win
American League
Albert Belle thought 30 home runs in a short season would have been great. And 40 would have been unbelievable. But 50?
“If you’d told me I was going to hit 50 home runs, I don’t know what I would have told you. I probably would have laughed at you,” Belle said Saturday after he became the 12th player in major-league history to reach that milestone.
Belle’s sixth-inning blast tied the game 2-2, and Carlos Baerga’s RBI single in the 10th won it as the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.
The Indians won in their final at-bat for the 27th time this year.
“It’s been a Cinderella, storybook season,” said Belle, who rarely speaks with reporters. “This is icing on the cake. In 1991, it seemed like everything we did was wrong. We got our butts kicked. But everything has changed. To win 100 games would probably exceed our goals.”
Belle matched Babe Ruth’s record with 17 September home runs, and he extended his major-league mark for homers in a two-month span to 31.
He’s the first to hit 50 in a season since Detroit’s Cecil Fielder hit 51 in 1990. Belle did it in Cleveland’s 143rd game.
Ruth homered 17 times in September 1927, the year he set a record for a 154-game season with 60 home runs.
Belle suggested that teammate Jose Mesa, with 46 saves, might be the MVP, although Belle holds out hope that he might win the award.
“I’m not really considered a media darling, so that may not help,” Belle said. “But if you look at the statistics and our team winning percentage, I have an advantage.”
Yankees 6, Blue Jays 1
Toronto
New York clinched a tie for the A.L. wild card, moving closer to its first postseason berth since 1981 by beating Toronto on a four-hitter by Scott Kamieniecki (7-6).
The Yankees can wrap up the A.L.’s first-ever wild card if California loses to Oakland. The two played late Saturday.
If not, a victory by New York today or a loss by the Angels on the last day of the regular season would clinch it.
Paul O’Neill hit a three-run homer, his 22nd, in a four-run first inning and New York went on to its 11th straight win over Toronto.
Red Sox 9, Brewers 1
Milwaukee
Troy O’Leary had three hits and two RBIs against his former team.
Mike Maddux (4-1), starting for just the fourth time this year, allowed one run and four hits in five innings with four strikeouts and a walk.
Boston pounded rookie knuckleballer Steve Sparks (9-11), who gave up a career-high 15 hits and eight runs in 6 innings.
Orioles 12, Tigers 0
Baltimore
Ben McDonald, Jimmy Haynes, and Jesse Orosco teamed to pitch Baltimore’s fourth straight shutout and Brady Anderson hit his first career grand slam.
McDonald (3-6) had a no-hitter until Chris Gomez singled to center with one out in the sixth. McDonald gave up one hit and five walks in six innings for his first victory since June 10.
Twins 7, White Sox 6
Chicago
Marty Cordova hit his 24th homer, tops among A.L. rookies, and Ron Coomer added a two-run homer to lead Minnesota past Chicago.
Cordova hit a two-run homer in the first, one of his three hits, and just missed another in the sixth with a fly ball to the warning track in center. He also stole his 20th base to become the third Twin with 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a season. Larry Hisle and Kirby Puckett are the others.
Clearing the bases
Even if he resigns from the Detroit Tigers, Sparky Anderson intends to manage somewhere in 1996. The Detroit Free Press reported Saturday that Anderson will resign Monday during a news conference at Tiger Stadium. Asked if he intended to manage in the major leagues in 1996, he responded: “Yeah, no question about that.”… . Dave Winfield revealed that he won’t be added to the Cleveland Indians’ playoff roster. “I’m a little shocked and very disappointed,” Winfield said. He has played with a sore left shoulder most of the year.