American League Roundup : Red Sox Beat Orioles, 9-6, and Trail by 3

Dwight Evans started a six-run second inning with a home run and the Boston Red Sox moved closer to first-place Baltimore in the East with a 9-6 victory over the Orioles Monday night at Boston.

With their third consecutive victory but just their sixth in the last 12 games, Boston moved into a tie for second place with the Toronto Blue Jays, three games behind the Orioles. The Red Sox were nine games behind on July 19.

Evans ended the Baltimore second with an outstanding sliding catch with two runners on base. Then he began the Boston half by hitting Bob Milacki’s first pitch over the screen in left for his 13th homer.

A throwing error by third baseman Craig Worthington then helped Boston score five more runs, three unearned, off Milacki (5-9).

Veteran reliever Bob Stanley, in only his fourth appearance in a month, got his first victory since May 19. Baltimore lost for the 11th time in its last 12 games.

Stanley (3-2) relieved starter Eric Hetzel as Baltimore made the score 6-5 in the fourth inning. Stanley gave up one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings for his 83rd relief victory, tying him with Bill Campbell for 28th place on the all-time list.

Oakland 3, Chicago 2--Tony Phillips hit his first home run since May 17, and only his third of the season, a two-run shot off relief ace Bobby Thigpen in the ninth inning, to give the Athletics the victory at Oakland and move them to within a half-game of the Angels.

Terry Steinbach walked on four pitches to lead off the ninth. Then Phillips, who had only four hits in his previous 57 at--bats, hit the homer to right.

Mike Moore (14-5) won his sixth consecutive decision and hasn’t lost since June 16. Thigpen blew his fifth save opportunity of the season, and his first after seven consecutive save conversions.

Milwaukee 6, Cleveland 1--At Milwaukee, Teddy Higuera and Chuck Crim combined on a six-hitter and Robin Yount hit his 13th homer as the Brewers handed the Indians their third consecutive loss.

Higuera scattered five hits over six-plus innings to improve his record to 6-4. Crim restricted the Indians to two hits over the final three innings for his fifth save.

Toronto 6, New York 5--Tony Fernandez led off the game with a home run and Lloyd Moseby’s two-run homer broke a fifth-inning tie as Blue Jays beat the Yankees at New York.

Mike Flanagan of Toronto and Andy Hawkins of the Yankees each pitched 4 1/3 ineffective innings. Flanagan gave up five runs on eight hits and Hawkins (12-10) yielded six runs on eight hits.