Strawberry’s 300th Turns Back Royals

American League

Darryl Strawberry won the game with his 300th career home run, a two-run drive in the ninth inning Sunday that led the New York Yankees over the visiting Kansas City Royals 3-2.

Strawberry’s homer, his third since joining the Yankees July 7, came off Jason Jacome (0-3) following a leadoff walk to Tino Martinez. Strawberry, in a 6-for-30 slump, sent a 3-2 pitch into the right-center field bleachers.

John Wetteland (1-2) pitched a perfect ninth as the Yankees won their third straight over the Royals.

White Sox 5, Rangers 1

Chicago

Alex Fernandez pitched eight strong innings, and Ron Karkovice and Tony Phillips homered as Chicago won for only the third time on an 11-game homestand.

Fernandez (10-7) allowed an unearned run, scattered five hits, struck out four and walked one.

Texas lost for the seventh time in 11 games. Roger Pavlik (12-4) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings.

Blue Jays 1, Athletics 0

Toronto

Pat Hentgen pitched a three-hit shutout for his fifth straight victory and Carlos Delgado hit his 18th home run, a sixth-inning drive off Ariel Prieto (2-4).

Hentgen (12-6) stopped the A’s string of games with at least one home run at 23, two shy of the major league record set by the New York Yankees in 1941 and tied by Detroit two seasons ago. The A’s hit 50 homers during the streak.

Indians 6, Orioles 3 (13)

Baltimore

Jim Thome hit a three-run homer off Garrett Stephenson (0-1) in the 13th after Kenny Lofton made a game-saving catch in the 12th, reaching over the center-field wall on Roberto Alomar’s attempt for a two-run homer.

Casey Candaele also homered for the Indians, who took the series 3-1 and improved to 12-6 since the All-Star break. Jose Mesa (2-3) pitched two scoreless innings.

Twins 9, Red Sox 8

Minneapolis

Rick Aguilera won consecutive starts for the first time since May 1987, and Minnesota took advantage of six unearned runs off Aaron Sele (4-8).

Former Mariner Arquimedez Pozo pulled Boston within a run in the ninth, hitting a grand slam off Eddie Guardado for his first career home run. It was the 13th career at-bat for Pozo, who won Saturday’s game with a three-run triple in the ninth.

Brewers 4, Angels 3 (13)

Anaheim, Calif.

Jesse Levis singled home the winning run off Mike Holtz (1-1) with two outs in the 13th as Milwaukee edged California.

Angel Miranda (4-5) pitched 2-1/3 innings and Ramon Garcia got his fourth save, retiring Tim Salmon on a flyout with the tying run on third.

Jim Edmonds led off the ninth with a home run off Mike Fetters to tie the game.

Clearing the bases

All three of Darryl Strawberry’s homers have been hit in games started by Dwight Gooden, his former teammate on the New York Mets… . The Yankees have played 24 series without losing one, their longest streak since 1977… . Ivan Rodriguez and Warren Newson are the only Rangers to have pinch RBIs this year… . Minnesota’s Chuck Knoblauch has scored 46 runs in his last 32 games… . Toronto’s Ed Sprague is one RBI shy of his career high of 74.