Chisox Keep Pace In Wild-Card Race

American League

When Ed Sprague’s high fly ball to deep left bounced off the top of the fence and back into play, Wilson Alvarez knew it was his day.

Alvarez scattered seven hits over eight innings Saturday, leading the visiting Chicago White Sox to their third consecutive win with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

“When I saw the ball come back in I thought, ‘Oh my, thank you.’ Today that was the difference for me,” said Alvarez (15-7), who gave up one run, struck out four and walked three.

Sprague was left stranded at second in the fourth with the score tied 1-1.

Chicago scored two runs in the fifth on Danny Tartabull’s bases-loaded, two-run double.

Tony Phillips reached on a one-out walk off loser Huck Flener (2-1) and Ray Durham, who had two hits and scored twice, followed with a single. Frank Thomas walked to load the bases for Tartabull, who doubled to the left-field corner for a 3-1 Chicago lead.

Brewers 3, Twins 2

Milwaukee

Former Spokane Indian Matt Mieske slugged a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift Milwaukee past Minnesota.

Mieske, batting for David Hulse, tied a career high with his 12th homer, a one-out shot off Rich Robertson (6-13).

A young boy caught the homer with his mitt at the railing in left field. Twins manager Tom Kelly argued that it should have been ruled a double because the boy had leaned over the rail, but left fielder Roberto Kelly didn’t appear to have a chance at the catch.

Rangers 6, Indians 3

Arlington, Texas

Darren Oliver and Texas beat Cleveland again, and Juan Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a pair of RBI singles.

Oliver (11-6) won his third game this season against Cleveland and improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Indians by scattering nine hits in 8-1/3 innings.

A’s 8, Red Sox 0

Oakland, Calif.

Mark McGwire hit his 46th homer and rookie Willie Adams threw a five-hitter as the Athletics recorded their third consecutive shutout.

A’s pitchers extended their scoreless streak to 29 innings. It’s the first time Oakland has had three consecutive shutouts since 1983.

McGwire hit a two-run homer in the first that barely cleared the left-field fence. McGwire homered in his last at-bat against Boston on Friday.

Yankees 14, Angels 3 Anaheim, Calif.

Newcomer Charlie Hayes, pressed into New York’s lineup by a back injury to regular third baseman Wade Boggs, drove in three runs as the Yankees beat California.

The victory was the Yankees’ second straight after stopping a season-long five-game losing streak, and it kept their American League East lead over Baltimore at four games.

Hayes, obtained Friday in a trade with Pittsburgh, doubled home two runs during a seven-run third and singled in another run in the fourth.

Royals 3, Tigers 1

Detroit

Doug Linton outdueled Felipe Lira to keep Detroit from its first winning month in over a year, scattering three hits in 6-1/3 innings as Kansas City beat the Tigers.

Linton (6-9) struck out a career-high nine and walked one to prevent the Tigers, who finished August with a 14-15 record, from having their first winning month since June 1995. It was his first win in his last four decisions.

Clearing the bases

Chicago signed right-hander Marvin Freeman to a minor-league contract. Freeman, who was released by Colorado on Aug. 23 after going 7-9 with a 6.04 ERA in 26 games, reported to Class A South Bend. … California traded catcher Don Slaught the White Sox for a player to be named. Slaught, 37, hit .324 with 32 RBIs in 62 games for the Angels this season. He was sidelined for 15 days in July because of lower back spasms. The Angels recalled infielder Dick Schofield from a rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the 15-day disabled list. … Cleveland solidified its lineup and infield by acquiring Kevin Seitzer from Milwaukee for outfielder Jeromy Burnitz.