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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

O’Neill Propels Yankees

Associated Press

American League

Paul O’Neill’s grand slam capped a six-run third and Derek Jeter tied a career high with four hits as the New York Yankees defeated the Oakland Athletics 10-5 Saturday at Oakland, Calif.

Jose Canseco, Geronimo Berroa and Scott Spiezio homered for the A’s. Canseco, who also had an RBI single in the first, hit a two-run shot in the third - his first homer since rejoining the A’s this season in a trade from Boston.

Dwight Gooden (1-0) got the win despite tying a career worst by allowing all three Oakland homers. He allowed five runs and six hits in 5-2/3 innings.

Orioles 9, Rangers 7 Arlington, Texas

Lenny Webster’s two-run double keyed a five-run first inning, and Baltimore remained the only unbeaten team in the majors.

Webster and Cal Ripken, who had a two-run homer in a three-run ninth, drove in three runs apiece for the Orioles. Eric Davis went 3 for 5, and scored three runs.

Baltimore matched last season’s 4-0 start, and with two wins over Texas, the Orioles already are within one of matching their 1996 total against the Rangers. Texas was 10-3 against Baltimore last season, 5-1 at home.

Tigers 15, White Sox 12 Chicago

Brian Hunter’s fourth hit sparked a five-run seventh inning and, for the second consecutive game, Detroit rallied to win after blowing a big lead.

Detroit, which squandered a six-run lead Friday, let a five-run advantage slip away. The Tigers trailed 10-9 before scoring five times in the seventh when the White Sox made three errors - they finished with four, giving them seven in two games.

Chris Snopek, filling in for injured Robin Ventura made his third error in four games.

Twins 7, Royals 5 Minneapolis

Chuck Knoblauch broke out of an early-season slump with three hits, and Terry Steinbach had three RBIs to lead Minnesota.

The Royals fought back from 4-1 and 5-4 deficits to tie the game at 5 before Steinbach’s run-scoring single in the fifth inning put the Twins ahead for good.

Brewers 5, Blue Jays 2 Toronto

Gerald Williams hit a home run, then doubled to break a sixth-inning tie as Milwaukee defeated Toronto, giving Jamie McAndrew his first win in two years. It was his first start since undergoing major knee surgery in April 1996.

Indians 7, Angels 5 Anaheim, Calif.

Sandy Alomar hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning as Cleveland beat Anaheim to spoil Japanese pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa’s major league debut.

Alomar’s second homer of the season triggered a four-run fifth inning as the Indians beat Hasegawa, who took a two-hitter and a 4-1 lead into the fifth.

O’s will be cautious with Mussina

Baltimore right-hander Mike Mussina will make his first start of the 1997 season today at The Ballpark in Arlington. Mussina, scratched from his opening day assignment with a swollen elbow, pitched as many as six innings only once in spring training. He figures to throw no more than 80 pitches today.

Clearing the bases

Jose Canseco has 32 career homers vs. the Yankees, his most against any team. … New York catcher Joe Girardi missed his third straight game because of soreness in his right shoulder. … Albert Belle went 0 for 4 and is now 1 for 9 at Comiskey Park as a member of the White Sox. … Rangers right fielder Juan Gonzalez hit soft-toss for the first time this spring as he continues his rehabilitation from a torn ligament in his left thumb. Gonzalez is still on schedule to meet his projected return date of May 1.