O’Neill Slugs 3 Hrs In Yanks’ 11-6 Win

American League

Paul O’Neill drove in eight runs with three homers and a single Thursday to lead the New York Yankees to an 11-6 victory over visiting California, the Angels’ sixth straight loss.

O’Neill hit a three-run shot in each of the first two innings off starter Brian Anderson (6-7) as the Yankees built a 7-0 lead.

He led off the fifth with a solo homer off Mike Harkey and added an RBI single in the Yankees’ three-run sixth.

O’Neill faced Troy Percival, the sixth Angels pitcher, in the eighth, and was called out on strikes.

O’Neill’s three homers marked the 20th time the feat has been accomplished by a Yankee in the regular season, and he became the 14th New York Yankee to hit three homers in a game, and the second this season.

O’Neill’s eight RBIs were his career high and the three-homer game was the first of his career.

Indians 6, Blue Jays 4

Cleveland

Albert Belle homered in extra innings for the second straight night, hitting a two-run shot in the 10th that lifted Cleveland past Toronto.

It marked the ninth time this year the Indians ended a home game with a homer. Belle has done it three times.

Royals 7, Brewers 6

Kansas City, Mo.

Tommy Goodwin, who doubled following Johnny Damon’s game-tying leadoff homer in the ninth, scored on Mike Fetters’ errant pick-off attempt to third, giving Kansas City a wild win over Milwaukee.

White Sox 9, Tigers 0

Chicago

Ozzie Guillen’s three-run single was the key hit as Chicago scored eight runs with two outs in the second inning of a win over Detroit.

Athletics 8, Orioles 7

Baltimore

Mike Bordick hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead Oakland past Baltimore, its first series sweep of the Orioles in three years.

Clearing the bases

The Atlanta Braves traded pitcher Matt Murray to the Boston Red Sox and got two minor leaguers in a move that completed a July 31 deal that sent reliever Mike Stanton to Boston. In exchange, the Braves acquired right-handed pitcher Michael Jacobs and outfielder Marc Lewis from Class A Utica in the New York-Penn League. … The Texas Rangers acquired Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Candy Maldonado for a player to be named later.