Rookie Halts Tribe As Chisox Close In
American League
Rookie Bill Simas retired Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Eddie Murray in pitching out of a bases-loaded, no-out, seventh-inning jam Friday night as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians for the second straight night 4-2 at Chicago.
Simas, 24, used his overpowering fastball to strike out four batters in two perfect innings. Roberto Hernandez then pitched the ninth for his 23rd save, helping the White Sox pull within a game of the A.L. Central-leading Indians.
Chicago took advantage of an injury to Cleveland starter Dennis Martinez, rallying from a 2-0 deficit against relievers Jim Poole and Julian Tavarez (2-5). Martinez had a no-hitter going before straining a muscle in the right elbow-forearm area on his first pitch of the fourth inning.
Red Sox 8, Tigers 5
Boston
Tim Naehring played a key role for the third straight game, driving in four runs with three singles as Boston beat Detroit.
Brewers 5, Blue Jays 1
Toronto
Jeff D’Amico, activated from Double-A ball earlier in the day, won his major-league debut as Milwaukee defeated Toronto.
D’Amico, who at 20 is the youngest active player in the majors, pitched 5-2/3 shutout innings.
Orioles 7, Yankees 4
New York
Rafael Palmeiro hit his second two-run homer, capping a three-run ninth inning that gave Baltimore a victory over New York.
Royals 6, Twins 2
Kansas City, Mo.
Kevin Appier, the subject of several trade rumors, pitched a five-hitter and retired the final 15 batters as Kansas City beat Minnesota.
Athletics 6, Angels 3
Anaheim, Calif.
Damon Mashore’s first major-league homer triggered a five-run sixth inning, and Ernie Young and Jason Giambi also homered in Oakland’s victory over California.
Belle at it again
Albert Belle’s contentious relationship with the media took a new turn Thursday night, when he threw a cup of Gatorade on a television cameraman from Chicago station WGN.
Wyn Griffiths was staffing one of three cameras just to the right of the Indians’ visiting dugout during the Tribe’s 15-10 loss to the White Sox.
“I was shooting something completely away from the dugout at the time,” Griffiths said.
“Belle came and got a drink. He took a cup of pink Gatorade, that sticky stuff, and threw it on me and the camera. As soon as Belle threw it, he walked into the dugout without saying a word.
Earlier, Belle told the cameraman to quit aiming his camera at him.
Clearing the bases
Greg Vaughn tied a Milwaukee club record by hitting his 12th home run in June, equalling the mark set by Gorman Thomas in August 1979. Vaughn also extended his hitting streak to a club-high 14 games… Mo Vaughn of Boston reached base four times, but needed a single in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. … Eddie Murray’s 490th homer was his first at the new Comiskey Park, which opened in 1991. He has homered in 32 ballparks, some of which no longer exist, tying Frank Robinson and Rusty Staub for most ever.