Indians, Brewers Keep Brawl Rollin’
American League
A day after Albert Belle’s violent forearm triggered a brawl, the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee cleared the benches just seven pitches into Saturday’s game, a 2-1 victory by the Brewers in Milwaukee.
The ill feelings from Friday night’s fight, precipitated by Belle’s hit to Milwaukee second baseman Fernando Vina’s nose, carried over on an early pickoff play involving Vina and Kenny Lofton. X-rays showed Vina had a bruised but not broken nose.
On Saturday, there were no punches thrown and no umpires thrown to the ground. Crew chief Joe Brinkman was slammed down by Indians pitcher Julian Tavarez on Friday.
Lofton led off the game with a double, then gave Vina a shove after pitcher Angel Miranda tried to pick him off. Order was restored after several minutes.
Miranda hit Carlos Baerga with a pitch in the third, and Jack McDowell (5-4) hit Vina in the foot in the fourth, but there were no further incidents.
Angels 8, Orioles 3 Anaheim, Calif.
Gary DiSarcina singled to start an eight-run third, and capped the inning with his first home run in 11 months as California beat Baltimore for its fourth straight win.
Yankees 6, Athletics 3 Oakland, Calif.
Wade Boggs collected his 2,600th career hit, an RBI single that sparked a four-run fifth, as New York defeated Oakland.
Ruben Sierra started as New York’s designated hitter, a day after he was benched by manager Joe Torre.
When he learned he was sitting out Friday’s game, Sierra complained to reporters that Torre had lied to him since spring training about getting more time in the outfield.
Torre said he never guaranteed Sierra anything.
Blue Jays 5, Royals 3 (10) Toronto
Pinch-hitter John Olerud hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth, and Joe Carter hit a two-run homer with two outs in the 10th, lifting Toronto over Kansas City.
The Blue Jays trailed 3-2 when Olerud, batting for Jacob Brumfield, connected off Jeff Montgomery for the pinch-hit homer.
Twins 9, Rangers 5 Arlington, Texas
Rich Becker’s RBI single in the top of the ninth snapped a tie, and Paul Molitor followed with a three-run homer as Minnesota scored six runs in its last at-bat for a win.
Tigers vs. Sox, ppd. rain Chicago
The game between Detroit and Chicago was postponed because of rain.
It will be made up as part of a doubleheader today at 11:05 a.m. PDT.
Carr undergoes surgery
Brewer Chuckie Carr’s reconstructive knee surgery that ended his season went better than expected and he’s set to begin rehabilitation Monday. Dr. Ted Gertel and Dr. Dennis Sullivan had originally planned to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament and a torn hamstring tendon in Carr’s right knee, saving work on his torn anterior cruciate ligament for another day. But the swelling wasn’t as bad as expected and they were able to reconstruct the ACL and also repair a torn knee capsule, Gertel said.
Clearing the bases
Montgomery made his 500th appearance for the Royals. The only other Royals pitcher to make that many is Dan Quisenberry, who had 573. … Boggs is the 59th player in baseball to reach 2,600 hits. … Texas activated Juan Gonzalez from the 15-day disabled list and Rangers manager Johnny Oates wasted no time in returning the slugging right fielder to the starting lineup. To make room, the Rangers optioned right-hander Rick Helling to Oklahoma City of the Triple-A American Association. … The aneurysm in David Cone’s right shoulder that has sidelined him indefinitely had been detected before the New York Yankees pitcher made his most recent start, according to a published report. Today’s New York Times quoted an unidentified doctor involved in the case as saying the aneurysm was known to some of Cone’s doctors before he pitched on May 2.