Gonzalez Matches July Homer Mark

American League

Juan Gonzalez tied a major-league record with his 15th homer in July, a three-run shot off Jimmy Key, and Ivan Rodriguez hit a two-run homer Wednesday night to give the Texas Rangers a 9-2 victory over the visiting New York Yankees.

In the third inning, Key (8-8) walked two batters before hanging a 1-2 breaking pitch to Gonzalez, who drove it 415 feet into the left-field stands to give Texas a 3-0 lead.

Gonzalez tied the major-league record for home runs in the month shared by Joe DiMaggio (1937), Hank Greenberg (1938), and Joe Adcock (1956).

The Rangers have beaten the Yankees in all five games at The Ballpark in Arlington this season, and they have won 14 of the last 16 games between the teams in Texas.

Indians 4, Blue Jays 2

Cleveland

Albert Belle hit a grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning, giving Cleveland a victory over Toronto.

Belle’s 36th home run increased his RBI total to 103, his fifth consecutive season with 100 or more.

Athletics 5, White Sox 4

Oakland, Calif.

Scott Brosius, Terry Steinbach and Damon Mashore each homered and Oakland playing without Mark McGwire for the fourth straight game, defeated Chicago.

The A’s, who homered in 23 consecutive games before going homerless in their last two, have hit 179 home runs this season. McGwire, leading the league with 38 homers, is sidelined with back spasms and remains day-to-day.

Orioles 9, Twins 3

Minneapolis

Bobby Bonilla, involved in trade rumors all week, drove in four runs, two with a tie-breaking single in a six-run eighth inning, to lead Baltimore to a win over Minnesota.

Cal Ripken and Chris Hoiles also drove in two runs apiece in the eighth to give the Orioles their second straight win at the start of a 13-game road trip.

Red Sox 5, Royals 3

Kansas City, Mo.

Mike Stanley hit a tie-breaking two-run homer and Tim Wakefield took a four-hitter into the ninth inning as Boston beat Kansas City.

Wakefield (8-10) allowed all three runs and five hits in 8-1/3 innings, leaving after giving up a home run to Johnny Damon. Heathcliff Slocumb finished for his 15th save.

Tigers 10, Angels 5

Detroit

Tony Clark broke a seventh-inning tie with a three-run homer and Detroit beat California for a three-game winning streak, matching a season high.

Clearing the bases

Milwaukee relief pitcher Mike Fetters will receive $4 million for two years under terms of a contract extension… . Karen Plympton, a flight attendant, claims New York Yankees third baseman Wade Boggs terrorized her during an April 15 charter flight in a lawsuit filed in Houston… . Yankees pitcher Jimmy Key has an 80-45 road record but he is 4-5 this year in games on the road… . Darren Bragg, acquired on Tuesday from the Mariners, started in left field for the Red Sox.