Orioles Top Yanks, 5-2, Add To Lead

American League

Rick Krivda pitched six effective innings before Baltimore’s bullpen took over, and the visiting Orioles remained perfect against the Yankees this year with a 5-2 win Thursday night that increased their A.L. East edge over New York to 7-1/2 games.

Jeffrey Hammonds hit a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the seventh inning and a solo homer in the ninth as the Orioles ended a five-game losing streak. New York has lost four in a row and seven of eight, but still leads Anaheim by six games for the wild-card spot.

Baltimore improved to 5-0 against the Yankees. The Orioles were only 4-14 against New York last season, including a five-game loss in the A.L. playoffs.

The Yankees began a stretch in which they play Baltimore eight times in 11 days. Owner George Steinbrenner met with manager Joe Torre before the game, seeking reassurance that New York wasn’t conceding the division title to the Orioles, then watched David Wells (14-9) lose before a crowd of 39,770.

Randy Myers pitched a perfect ninth for the Orioles, gaining his major league-leading 41st save in 42 chances.

Tigers 5, Angels 4 (11) Detroit

Tony Clark hit a game-tying three-run homer in the eighth inning and Bobby Higginson singled in the winning run in the 11th as Detroit beat Anaheim.

Higginson’s two-out single off Pep Harris (2-4) scored Deivi Cruz, who reached on first baseman Darin Erstad’s throwing error. Erstad’s throw pulled shortstop Gary DiSarcina off the bag at second after Cruz attempted to sacrifice pinch-runner Juan Encarnacion to second. After a failed sacrifice and a strikeout, Higginson singled up the middle.

Rangers 6, Blue Jays 2 Toronto

Rick Helling struck out a career-high 12 in 8-1/3 innings, helping Texas send Toronto to its seventh straight loss.

Rusty Greer drove in three runs and Tom Goodwin went 3 for 4 with four runs scored as Texas won its third consecutive game.

Royals 7, Athletics 6 (12) Kansas City, Mo.

Felix Martinez, making his first major-league start, singled off the leg of pitcher Don Wengert to drive in the winning run in the 12th inning as Kansas City beat Oakland.

Ben Grieve, who tied an Oakland record with three doubles in his major-league debut Wednesday, doubled again to help the A’s take a 3-0 lead in the first. An outfielder called up from Edmonton on Wednesday, he went 2 for 6 and has four doubles, a single and six RBIs in two major-league games.

Clearing the bases

Toronto third baseman Ed Sprague was placed on the disabled list with a tear in the labrum in his right shoulder, ending his consecutivegame streak at 224… . Roger Pavlik is scheduled to make his first start for Texas since May 6 tonight after being disabled by bone spurs and chips in his right elbow… . Anaheim, trying to keep up with Seattle in the A.L. West, has lost three straight games, four of five, and 13 of 19… . Anaheim’s Tony Phillips went 0 for 3, ending his hitting streak at 12 games.