Palmer Makes Jays Pay In Rangers’ Win

American League

When Juan Guzman intentionally walked Will Clark to get to Dean Palmer in the first inning Saturday, the Texas Rangers third baseman took it personally.

“You always get a little pumped up when that happens,” Palmer said after hitting two homers and driving in five runs to lead the Rangers to a 12-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Toronto.

Palmer’s three-run homer ended his 0-for-11 slump and capped a four-run first inning against Guzman (9-8). Palmer doubled and scored in the fifth. He hit his 27th homer, a two-run shot off reliever Scott Brown, for a 10-1 lead in the seventh.

Darren Oliver survived a shaky first inning that featured three walks, including one to Jacob Brumfield with the bases loaded, before settling into a groove.

Tigers 13, Yankees 7

New York

Detroit became the first visiting team to win a series at Yankee Stadium in nearly a year, roughing up Jimmy Key and New York.

The Tigers, who beat New York 5-3 Friday night in the opener of the three-game set, scored nine runs off Key (9-9) in 4-1/3 innings.

Key matched his career high for most earned runs allowed.

The Yankees had gone 24 straight series at home without losing one.

Athletics 5, Indians 1

Oakland, Calif.

Jose Herrera hit a pair of home runs and Oakland stopped Cleveland’s four-game winning streak.

Terry Steinbach added a three-run shot in the fourth inning, giving Oakland a major-league leading 187 homers.

Rookie Willie Adams (1-1) earned his first major league victory. Making his fifth start of the season, he pitched six-plus innings and allowed one run and seven hits. He struck out five and walked three.

Orioles 13, White Sox 4

Chicago

Eddie Murray hit the 18th grand slam of his career, highlighting an eight-run burst in the ninth inning as Baltimore beat Chicago.

Murray tied Willie McCovey for second place on the career slam list, trailing only Lou Gehrig’s 23. Murray has 495 lifetime home runs.

Red Sox 3, Brewers 2

Milwaukee

Jeff Frye hit just his seventh homer in 948 major league at-bats, and Tim Wakefield and Boston sent Milwaukee to its sixth straight loss.

Wakefield (10-10) struck out a season-high 10 and gave up eight hits in his fourth complete game of the season.

Cal Eldred (2-2), in his sixth start since returning from tendon replacement surgery on his right elbow, gave up four hits - three to Frye - in seven innings.

Royals 18, Angels 3

Anaheim, Calif.

Johnny Damon drove in seven runs, including a grand slam, and Jim Abbott lost his 11th straight decision as Kansas City hammered California.

The Royals’ 10th straight win in Anaheim handed the Angels their 11th loss in 12 games. It was their sixth straight loss, including all five under interim manager John McNamara.

Fan repellent

During a White Sox-Texas game July 27 at Comiskey Park, a security guard working the left-field bleachers spotted a fan flagrantly ignoring the rules of the park.

He quickly swooped down the aisles and pounced on the perpetrator, carrying away two plastic bottles of mineral water and an empty Pringles can. The security guard was booed roundly as he walked away. Then he smiled and held the contraband aloft in a triumphant pose. One Sox fan, who had seen enough, stood up and shouted: “Don’t you know you’re chasing away the only fans you have left?”

Can’t get the cash back

Oakland lost Todd Van Poppel on the waiver wire when Detroit claimed him for $20,000.

In the early ‘90s, the A’s paid Van Poppel what was then a club-record $1 million bonus and received just 18 wins from a man who was supposed to be the most celebrated high school pitcher to emerge in decades.