Home-Run Barrage Wins For White Sox

American League

Frank Thomas, Harold Baines and Robin Ventura hit consecutive homers and Chad Kreuter hit Chicago’s fourth homer during a seven-run eighth inning as the White Sox crushed the visiting Milwaukee Brewers 12-1.

The White Sox set a club record and became the 16th team in A.L. history to hit four home runs in one inning. The league mark of five is held by the 1966 Minnesota Twins.

Kevin Tapani (5-3) scattered seven hits in his first complete game since July 28, 1995.

After Darren Lewis’ one-out RBI single, Thomas hit his 15th homer, a two-run shot. Baines followed with his 11th homer, and Ventura completed the trifecta with his ninth. All three shots came off Milwaukee reliever Mike Potts.

Indians 5, Tigers 0

Detroit

Albert Belle hit his major-league-leading 20th homer, a three-run shot in the eighth inning, as Cleveland handed Detroit its 11th straight loss.

Dennis Martinez (7-2) pitched an eight-hitter as the Indians, despite getting just three hits, completed a three-game sweep of the lowly Tigers, who have lost 31 of their last 35 games.

The Indians had not swept a three-game series in Detroit since 1959.

Twins 9, Blue Jays 3

Toronto

Pinch hitter Ron Coomer’s two-run home run ignited a six-run ninth inning as Minnesota topped Toronto.

Dan Naulty (3-0), who gave up Joe Carter’s game-tying RBI single in the eighth, collected the pitching victory.

Orioles 6, Athletics 1

Baltimore

Gregg Zaun doubled home two runs in a four-run second inning and Kent Mercker got his first victory in more than a month as Baltimore defeated Oakland.

Roberto Alomar and Luis Polonia also had two RBIs for the Orioles, who took two of three from the A’s and have won five straight series.

Rangers 6, Royals 4

Kansas City, Mo.

Ken Hill won his sixth game as Texas rallied against Kansas City’s bullpen.

Warren Newson hit a two-run single in the seventh inning to back Hill (6-3), who gave up nine hits and struck out six over 7-2/3 innings.

Mike Henneman pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Angels 12, Red Sox 2

Anaheim, Calif.

Rex Hudler went 5 for 5 and set a major-league career high with his ninth homer of the season.

Tim Salmon and Tim Wallach drove in three runs each and Chili Davis slugged a two-run homer in support of the six-hit pitching of Shawn Boskie (6-1). Boskie struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings.

Clearing the bases

Bostons’s Tim Naehring extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a pair of singles… . Baltimore’s Cal Ripken played in his 2,200th consecutive game, including 2,173 at shortstop, but he may be headed to third base for his next start, Tuesday at Seattle… . Albert Belle’s homer was the 214th of his career, moving him into a fourth-place tie with Andre Thornton on Cleveland’s career list. Belle has homered in nine of his last 17 games.