Yankees’ Key Off Dl, Responds By Winning

American League

Jimmy Key came off the disabled list to pitch six innings of three-hit ball and rookie Ruben Rivera snapped a tie with his first career home run as the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1 Friday night in Oakland.

Paul O’Neill added a leadoff homer in the eighth off reliever Buddy Groom.

Key (2-5), sidelined the past two weeks by stiffness in his left shoulder, started in place of Dwight Gooden, who is in Florida this weekend to attend the funeral of his aunt.

Gooden is scheduled to rejoin the Yankees and start Tuesday against Toronto.

White Sox 9, Tigers 0

Chicago

Kevin Tapani blanked Detroit for eight innings and Danny Tartabull and Dave Martinez each hit two-run homers as Chicago routed the Tigers.

Robin Ventura went 4 for 4 for Chicago, which had 15 hits. The White Sox have won 11 of 13, while Detroit lost for the 14th time in 15 games.

Blue Jays 4, Royals 2

Toronto

Pat Hentgen came within one out of his third complete game of the season and slumping Sandy Martinez drove in two runs, leading Toronto to a win.

Royals outfielder Johnny Damon was hit in the face by Hentgen’s pitch in the third inning. Damon was on the ground for about a minute with scrapes on the right side of his face, but was able to get up on his own.

Rangers 7, Twins 2

Arlington, Texas

Rusty Greer, starting for the first time in 10 games, hit a two-run single during a six-run third inning as Texas won its sixth straight.

Mickey Tettleton and Warren Newson added RBI singles in the third when Texas sent 11 batters to the plate.

Angels 10, Orioles 3

Anaheim, Calif.

Rex Hudler welcomed teammate Mark Langston back from the disabled list with a home run and a career-high five RBIs as California beat Baltimore.

Viola demoted

After 420 starts and 421 career games, Frank Viola is making his second trip to the bullpen with Toronto.

The 36-year-old, who had surgery in 1994 to repair a torn elbow ligament, wasn’t pleased with the news.

“I didn’t come back to pitch out of the bullpen on a full-time basis,” said Viola (1-3). “The way we left it is, we don’t need a fifth starter until next Saturday (June 8).”

Clearing the bases

Detroit’s Alan Trammell needs two RBIs to reach 1,000 for his career. … Toronto pitcher Woody Williams was activated from the 60-day disabled list. Williams, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on Sept. 12 to repair a tear in his right shoulder, was 3-0 at Triple-A Syracuse with a 1.54 ERA in four starts. Brian Bohanon (0-1, 7.77 ERA) was outrighted to Syracuse. … Brewers center fielder Chuckie Carr will undergo reconstructive knee surgery this morning to repair two torn ligaments and a hamstring tendon. He was hurt making a leaping catch Thursday. … Rangers right fielder Juan Gonzalez remains on the disabled list with a torn left quadriceps, having missed the last 20 games. Texas is 12-8 without Gonzalez, the franchise’s career home run leader. He could be activated this weekend.

Major league batting leader Roberto Alomar (79 for 199, .397) extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a first-inning single, giving him 40 hits in May. That’s one more than he had when he shattered the Orioles’ record for April, set in 1969 by Frank Robinson and Paul Blair and tied by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1994.