California Quaking After Another Loss

American League

Minnesota designated hitter Kirby Puckett went from second base to shortstop to third and then back to second. The position change of California’s Spike Owen was less dramatic, but much more costly.

Rich Becker scored the winning run with two outs in the top of the 10th inning when he avoided Owen’s tag at third base and continued home on Owen’s wild throw to give the Twins a 9-8 victory Sunday.

The Angels’ lead in the A.L. West dropped to five games over Seattle, which beat Kansas City 5-4.

Becker was hit by Mark Holzemer’s pitch to start the 10th and went to second on Matt Walbeck’s groundout. One out later, Matt Lawton grounded to third. Becker swerved onto the grass, avoided Owen’s tag and scored the go-ahead run when Owen’s throw to first was in the dirt.

Owen, who usually plays shortstop, said Becker ran out of the basepath. Umpire Rick Reed didn’t make a call because, as he saw it, Becker veered off because he was trying to stay out of Owen’s way on the grounder.

“The guy was 2 feet on the grass and circling around to third; all you have to do is check the replay,” Owen said. “I already had the ball and was trying to tag him. It was just a bad call.”

“It was a very entertaining game … if you want to sit back and watch a lot of nonsense,” Twins manager Tom Kelly said.

As Kelly made wholesale changes late in the game, he started Puckett, usually an outfielder, at second base in the ninth, moved him to short, then to third. In the 10th, Puckett was back at second.

“He kept moving me to where the ball was least likely to be hit. Thank goodness he was very successful at it,” said Puckett, who drove in three runs.

“I can play anywhere in the infield, as long as the darned ball doesn’t come to me.”

Becker’s run put the final touch on the 4-hour, 25-minute marathon, which saw 42 players - 14 pitchers - used.

Yankees 9, Red Sox 3

New York

Darryl Strawberry, Bernie Williams and Ruben Sierra drove in two runs each to lift New York over Boston, completing a three-game sweep of the Red Sox.

New York remained one-half game behind the Mariners in the race for the A.L. wild card playoff berth.

Erik Hanson, the first of five Red Sox pitchers, took his first loss since July 30, ending his personal five-game winning streak.

Strawberry hit his third homer for the Yankees, and second in three days, after Paul O’Neill’s triple in the first inning to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

White Sox 5, Athletics 3

Oakland, Calif.

Chicago starter Alex Fernandez won his fifth straight decision and beat Oakland for the third time this season as the White Sox defeated the Athletics.

Mike LaValliere and Ozzie Guillen each drove in two runs as the White Sox won for the ninth time in their last 11 games.

Rangers 5, Brewers 2

Milwaukee

Kenny Rogers allowed six hits in 8-1/3 innings as Texas beat Milwaukee to win consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 21.

Three Milwaukee errors led to two runs and sent the Brewers to their 11th loss in 13 games since pulling within one-half game of the A.L. wild-card lead on Aug. 27.

Indians 5, Orioles 3

Cleveland

Sandy Alomar hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, extending Cleveland’s league-high home winning streak to 14 games.

It was the Indians’ 43rd comeback victory, the 26th in their last at-bat and their sixth overall.

Tigers 5, Blue Jays 2 (11)

Toronto

Detroit scored three unearned runs in the 11th inning on a bunt single, two errors, three walks and a wild pitch.

Clearing the bases

Minnesota is 3-16 on Sunday’s this season… . California tied an extra-inning club record by using nine pitchers. The last time they did that was April 16, 1963. Meanwhile, in the last six games, California pitchers have given up 16 homers, all solo shots.