Orioles Winning ‘Em Two at a Time

Scott Erickson took a shutout into the eighth inning before giving up Mo Vaughn’s two-run homer as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Red Sox, 7-2, in the first game of a doubleheader at Boston.

In the second game, Cal Ripken went four for four to lead the Orioles to a 4-2 victory.

With the sweep, Baltimore improved to 42-17--the best record in baseball and the same record it had after 59 games in 1969. The Orioles have won 17 of their last 21 games.

“We’re right in the middle of a very tough schedule,” said Oriole Manager Davey Johnson, whose team played the Indians, Yankees and White Sox before arriving in Boston at 4 a.m. Tuesday. “So far, we’re through the majority of it. But we’re not finished yet.”

Next stop: the majors’ second-best team, Atlanta.

Erickson (9-2) allowed seven hits and struck out four. He walked two and allowed only two runners past first before Vaughn homered with Scott Hatteberg on third with two outs in the eighth. That spoiled Erickson’s bid for his first shutout this season.

Vaughn, who went six for seven in the two games, homered again in the second game and reached base eight consecutive times.

“It doesn’t matter what you do, winning is the key,” Vaughn said.

Arthur Rhodes (3-2) earned the victory in the second game after Shawn Boskie failed to last the required five innings. Rhodes came in with nobody out in the fifth and gave up three hits and a walk in three innings, striking out five.

New York 12, Chicago 1--Andy Pettitte came within two outs of his first career shutout and the top of Yankee batting order produced seven runs at New York.

Pettitte (8-3) had little trouble with a Chicago lineup missing Frank Thomas, the AL’s top hitter. He blanked the White Sox on four hits over the first eight innings before giving up three base hits, including Albert Belle’s RBI single. He walked none and struck out five in his third complete game this season.

The leadoff and No. 2 spots in the Yankee lineup--Derek Jeter, Wade Boggs and pinch-hitter Pat Kelly--reached base 10 consecutive times in the first six innings and went a combined seven for eight. Boggs went three for three and scored three times as New York won its fourth game in a row.

Cleveland 5, Milwaukee 4--David Justice and Marquis Grissom, stranded in the Atlanta airport for more than six hours Tuesday, finally made it to Jacobs Field at Cleveland about two hours before the game.

It was worth the wait as Justice drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Grissom was two for four.

Grissom and Justice, both traded to Cleveland in the Kenny Lofton deal in March, spent the Indians’ off-day at home.

Grissom drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the second. Then, he sparked the Indians’ go-ahead rally in the seventh with another single.

Justice atoned for a six-for-28 June slump by putting Cleveland ahead for good with a sacrifice fly.

Charles Nagy (7-3) gave up four runs and 10 hits in seven innings.

Toronto 8, Seattle 3--Juan Samuel’s bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning lifted the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Joe Carter started the inning with a single off Seattle starter Jamie Moyer, and Ed Sprague and Carlos Delgado walked. One out later, Joe Carter hit a sacrifice fly off loser Scott Sanders (2-6) before pinch-hitter Orlando Merced was walked intentionally to reload the bases.

Norm Charlton relieved, and Samuel hit a blooper in front of a hard-charging Jay Buhner in right field. The ball bounced over Buhner’s head and rolled to the wall for a three-run triple and a 4-3 Blue Jay lead. Otis Nixon followed with a double, scoring Samuel.

Minnesota 10, Texas 1--Paul Molitor went four for four with a two-run triple to help Bob Tewksbury to his first home victory of the season at Minneapolis.

Molitor, who had four hits for the second time in four games, added a double and two singles after his first-inning triple, and also was walked intentionally in the eighth.

Ron Coomer, Scott Stahoviak and Terry Steinbach each added two RBIs as the Twins handed Texas its fourth consecutive loss.

Tewksbury, 0-4 in five previous home starts, cruised with the overdue run support after receiving an average of fewer than three runs in his first 10 starts to improve to 3-6. He allowed eight hits in pitching his third complete game of the season.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Rafael Palmeiro

Team: Baltimore

Performance: In doubleheader, 4 for 8, 3 RBIs, triple, homer

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Mo Vaughn

Team: Boston

Performance: In doubleheader, 6 for 7, 4 RBIs, 2 homers

Team’s Result: Loss

*

Player: Paul Molitor

Team: Minnesota

Performance: 4 for 4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, double, triple

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Wade Boggs

Team: New York

Performance: 3 for 3, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, double

Team’s Result: Win

PITCHING

Player: Bob Tewksbury

Team: Minnesota

Performance: 9 innings, 8 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Andy Pettitte

Team: New York

Performance: 9 innings, 7 hits, 1 run, 5 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win