Yanks Win Slugfest, Thanks To Martinez

American League

Tino Martinez bailed out New York’s bullpen with an RBI single in the eighth inning Sunday as the New York Yankees outlasted the Cleveland Indians 11-10 at Yankee Stadium.

After Yankees relievers blew a three-run lead in the top of the eighth, Martinez came through in the home half to continue his hitting tear. Martinez, who hit a three-run homer in the first inning, has six homers in his last six games.

Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar singled in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to 26 games, five shy of the team record set by Nap Lajoie in 1906. It was the sixth time during the streak that Alomar has gotten a hit in his last at-bat.

Athletics 7, Rangers 5

Oakland, Calif.

Relief ace John Wetteland blew a save for the third time in four tries, allowing run-scoring hits to pinch-hitters Dave Magadan and Mark Bellhorn in the eighth inning, as Oakland overcame a three-run deficit to beat Texas.

Mark McGwire hit Kent Hill’s first pitch of the second inning just over the left field fence for his 29th home run of the season. It was McGwire’s 358th career home run, which tied him for 44th with Yogi Berra on the all-time list. His next homer will tie him with Johnny Mize at 43rd.

Blue Jays 3, Orioles 2

Baltimore i

Joe Carter drove in the tie-breaking run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Toronto completed its first four-game sweep in Baltimore.

Geronimo Berroa, making his debut with Baltimore after being obtained in a trade with Oakland on Friday, went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts. Berroa stranded six runners, making the final out on a fly ball to the warning track in center with a runner on first.

Brewers 3, Royals 2

Kansas City, Mo.

Jeff Huson’s two-out single scored the go-ahead run as Milwaukee rallied for two runs in the ninth inning to beat Kansas City.

In the ninth, former Spokane Indians star Matt Mieske singled off Royals closer Jeff Montgomery (0-3). Mieske went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Antone Williamson’s pinch-single to tie the game at 2-2. Gerald Williams sacrificed Williamson to second before Huson singled to center.

Red Sox 8, Tigers 6

Boston

Darren Bragg, in an 0-for-15 slump, doubled to break a seventh-inning tie, leading Boston over Detroit.

White Sox 6, Twins 4

Minneapolis

Wilson Alvarez won his fourth straight start and Chicago won for the 10th time in 12 games, beating Minnesota.

Fan from Down Under

Cricket is more his game, but Australian Prime Minister John Howard can talk a little baseball, too.

Howard, in town to deliver two speeches this week, visited Yankee Stadium for the first time to watch the Yankees host the Cleveland Indians and visit with fellow Aussie Graeme Lloyd, a reliever for New York.

Howard was asked his impressions of the storied ballpark.

“It’s terrific,” he said. “It’s one of the greatest stadiums in the world, and it’s such a part of the culture of this country.”