Mcdowell Happy Shaky Days Over

American League

The slump is ancient history. The Jack McDowell who pitched against the Cleveland Indians on Monday night was every bit as good as he’s ever been.

“You start thinking, you wish you could have put together a decent first half,” McDowell said after he threw a four-hitter in the New York Yankees’ 4-0 victory in Cleveland.

The Yankees have won five straight and 11 of 13, putting themselves squarely in contention for the A.L. wild card spot.

McDowell (14-10) struck out eight and walked four in his eighth complete game of the year. In his last eight starts, he is 6-2 with a 1.71 ERA, five complete games and two shutouts.

The game was an oddity in that the Yankees had no assists, just the fourth time that has happened in major league history. In addition to McDowell’s eight strikeouts, there were two grounders to first baseman Don Mattingly, who made the plays unassisted, and 17 flies, pop-ups and line outs.

“In my younger years I was more of a fly ball pitcher,” McDowell said. “The last couple years, I was more of a ground ball pitcher, and I think I gave up more hits because of that.”

Orioles 10, Red Sox 7

Baltimore

Harold Baines homered in a five-run eighth inning, and Baltimore extended Boston’s losing streak to a season-high four games with a comeback victory.

Mike Greenwell hit two homers and Jose Canseco and Mo Vaughn also homered for the Red Sox, who had taken a 7-5 lead in the top of the eighth.

Bobby Bonilla tied the game with a single and Cal Ripken gave Baltimore the lead with a sacrifice fly before Baines hit a two-run homer off Stan Belinda.

Tigers 3, Jays 2 (10)

Toronto

Travis Fryman led off the 10th inning with a homer to give Detroit a victory over Toronto, its third straight win after losing the opener of the four-game series.

Fryman hit a 2-2 pitch from Jimmy Rogers (2-4) into the first row of seats in left, making a winner of Mike Christopher (3-0).

Angels 4, White Sox 1

Anaheim, Calif.

Shawn Boskie snapped his three-game losing streak with a five-hitter and California beat Chicago despite losing second baseman Damion Easley to a knee injury.

The Angels did all their scoring in the first inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Chili Davis, a two-run double by J.T. Snow on a 3-0 pitch and an RBI single by rookie Garret Anderson.

Twins seek help

The Minnesota Twins almost certainly will leave the state after the 1998 season if they don’t get a new stadium or a complicated $35 million overhaul of the Metrodome.

Twins president Jerry Bell was careful to avoid direct ultimatums during a 2-hour presentation to the Advisory Task Force on Professional Sports.

But he presented a bleak picture of the team’s finances and called the 13-year-old Metrodome “economically obsolete” for baseball.

Clearing the bases

Texas outfielder Juan Gonzalez was picked as the American League player of the week. Gonzalez was 11 for 26 (.423) with three homers and eight RBIs. … Baltimore activated Ben McDonald off the 15-day disabled list.