Stairs Climbs All Over Angels

American League

Matt Stairs, promoted from the minors a day earlier, tied a major-league record with six RBIs during a 13-run first inning that sent the Oakland Athletics over the visiting California Angels 16-8 Friday night.

Oakland set a team record for runs in an inning, combining nine hits - including a grand slam and two-run single by Stairs - and five walks while sending 18 batters to the plate.

The A’s struck after the Angels scored three times in the top of the first. Oakland and California combined to set a modern major-league record for most runs in a first inning.

A crowd of 36,129, the first sellout of the season at the Coliseum, showed up on Fireworks Night and saw Oakland post the biggest first inning in the majors since May 21, 1952, when Brooklyn scored 15 against Cincinnati.

The record for runs in an inning is 17, set by Boston against Detroit in 1953.

Stairs’ slam came against Ryan Hancock (4-1), who faced 10 batters and allowed eight runs.

White Sox 7, Indians 0 Cleveland

Wilson Alvarez won for the eighth time in 11 starts and Chicago shaved another game off Cleveland’s lead in the A.L. Central.

The White Sox trail Cleveland by two games after becoming the first team to shut out the Indians this season.

The odd evening at Jacobs Field included a 370-foot single and a 4-6-2 fielder’s choice.

Twins 9, Royals 8 Minneapolis

Kansas City starter Mark Gubicza was knocked out when a first-inning line drive broke his left leg and Jeff Montgomery blew another save for the Royals.

Gubicza was carried off the field on a golf cart after Paul Molitor’s liner hit him on the left shin.

Gubicza fell to the ground and the ball bounced all the way to the first-base foul line. Gubicza sustained a broken left tibia and will miss six-eight weeks.

Kansas City took an 8-4 lead into the ninth, but Montgomery (1-6) blew a save for the fourth time in his last five chances.

Tigers 4, Blue Jays 3 Detroit

Bobby Higginson hit a two-run homer in a four-run fourth inning and Detroit matched a season high with its third straight victory.

Red Sox 7, Orioles 3 Baltimore

Aaron Sele earned his first victory since May 19, and Jose Malave and Jose Canseco both hit three-run homers as Boston beat Baltimore.

Yankees 12, Brewers 3 New York

Mike Aldrete, possibly Columbus-bound when Darryl Strawberry arrives, went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs to send New York over Milwaukee.

Clearing the bases

Paul Molitor’s first hit Friday night was his 2,900th overall. … Harold Baines doubled in the seventh for his 1,576th hit for Chicago, tying him for fourth place in club history with Luis Aparicio. … Milwaukee’s Fernando Vina was a hit in the fifth inning. First, he was beaned by Dwight Gooden, then he was retired when he was tagged by Kevin Seitzer’s grounder. … The Angels have surrendered 22 home runs in their last nine games.