Rangers 26, O’S 7 In Historic Blowout

American League

The Texas Rangers scored 16 runs in the eighth inning - one short of the modern major league record - and scored the most runs by an A.L. team in 41 years Friday night, routing the Baltimore Orioles 26-7 at Arlington, Texas.

Kevin Elster’s grand slam off backup infielder Manny Alexander highlighted the biggest eighth in baseball history.

Juan Gonzalez homered and drove in six runs, Dean Palmer homered twice and Will Clark also connected in the highest-scoring game by an A.L. team since Chicago beat Kansas City 29-6 on April 23, 1955.

Indians 9, Red Sox 4

Cleveland

Albert Belle hit his 200th career homer as Cleveland extended its dominance of Boston.

Twins 7, Yankees 1

Minneapolis

Dwight Gooden failed to get out of the fourth in his worst outing of the season, and Minnesota beat New York.

Gooden (0-3), who returned to the majors this season after a 1-1/2-year suspension for violating his drug aftercare program, has lost all three of his starts and has an 11.48 ERA.

The Yankees said Gooden’s status would soon be re-evaluated.

Angels 4, Tigers 3

Anaheim, Calif.

Don Slaught’s one-out single in the ninth scored pinch-runner Dick Schofield and gave California a win over Detroit.

Brewers 8, Royals 2

Kansas City, Mo.

Greg Vaughn homered into the left-field fountains and John Jaha followed with a homer, leading Milwaukee past Kansas City for its fifth straight victory.

White Sox 4, Athletics 3

Oakland, Calif.

Frank Thomas hit a two-run homer in the eighth into scaffolding at the still-incompleted Coliseum construction, and Chicago overcame the loss of starter Wilson Alvarez to beat Oakland in its delayed home opener.

The game drew a crowd of 31,320 to the stadium that has a capacity of just less than 40,000 because of the renovations.