Pettitte Gains 20th Win For Yanks
American League
Andy Pettitte became the American League’s first 20-game winner in three seasons, and the Yankees’ first in 11 years, as he pitched New York to a 10-3 win Wednesday night over the Oakland Athletics at Oakland, Calif.
Pettitte (20-7) struck out six of the first seven batters he faced. The lefthander allowed three runs and seven hits, struck out seven and walked one in seven innings.
The previous 20-game winner in the A.L. was Jack McDowell, who was 22-10 for the Chicago White Sox in 1993.
John Smoltz is the only N.L. pitcher with 20 wins this season.
The last Yankee to reach 20 wins was Ron Guidry, who went 22-6 in 1985.
Twins 7, Rangers 6 Arlington, Texas
Paul Molitor tripled, doubled and singled, giving him 2,987 hits and tying Sam Rice for 21st on the career list as Minnesota beat Texas.
Scott Stahoviak hit his 12th homer in the Twins third off Gil Heredia (2-5) for the game’s last run.
The A.L. West-leading Rangers start a six-game road trip Friday in Milwaukee. They play only eight of their last 23 games at home.
Indians 7, Brewers 0 Milwaukee
Chad Ogea pitched a four-hitter for the first shutout of his career, and Kenny Lofton and Jim Thome each homered to lead Cleveland to a win.
Ogea’s performance enabled Cleveland to avoid a three-game sweep by the Brewers and conclude its road trip with a 5-4 record. The Indians have not had a losing road trip since July 26-31, 1994.
Blue Jays 6, Royals 0 Toronto
Woody Williams allowed five hits in eight innings and Carlos Delgado hit a three-run home run as Toronto ended a five-game losing streak.
White Sox 11, Tigers 6 Chicago
Harold Baines singled with the bases loaded to break a seventh-inning tie as Chicago blew a five-run lead before rallying past Detroit.
Chicago, with six wins in the last seven games, stayed ahead in the wild-card chase.
Orioles 4, Angels 2 Anaheim, Calif.
Brady Anderson hit his 44th home run and Todd Zeile and Rafael Palmeiro also homered in the sixth inning as Baltimore beat California.
The Orioles hit nine home runs in the three-game series at Anaheim Stadium, giving them a major league-leading 225. But Eddie Murray failed to connect, leaving him stuck at 499 career homers.
Bats ‘clean and legal’
Bats confiscated from Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez and Baltimore’s Bobby Bonilla during a game last weekend were found to be “clean and legal,” the American League said.
The bats were sent to the A.L. office after they were confiscated Sunday during the Mariners’ 5-1 victory over the Orioles.
The league said the bats were X-rayed by the Pediatric Radiology Department of New York Hospital.