AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McGwire Gets Hit, Athletics Salvage Split

Mike Aldrete’s infield single drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning as the Oakland Athetics beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3, for a split of an ejection-filled doubleheader Saturday at Oakland.

In the first game, Joe Carter and Devon White had three runs batted in apiece and Paul Molitor hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh as the Blue Jays won, 9-6. David Cone (7-5) struck out 10 for Toronto.

The first game included Cone’s beaning of Mark McGwire, who had a mild concussion and sat out the second game, and the ejections of two Oakland pitchers. Both benches emptied after Carter was hit by a pitch.

There were four ejections during the doubleheader.

Molitor’s two-run homer in the second game, his seventh of the season and the 2,700th hit of his career, was the first homer against Eckersley (2-2) this year. It was Eckersley’s first blown save opportunity since April 28.

McGwire, who began the day tied for the major league lead with 24 homers and 59 RBIs, left the first game after being hit on the helmet by Cone’s fastball in the third inning.

“In no way, shape or form was I trying to throw at Mark McGwire,” Cone insisted. “I’ve pitched for 10 years, and not once have I thrown at a guy. I’ve never been known as a headhunter. I feel terrible about it.”

On the first pitch of the fourth inning, A’s starter Doug Johns, making his major league debut, was ejected for throwing behind the back of Toronto’s John Olerud.

In the seventh, Mike Harkey (4-6) was ejected for hitting Carter two batters after Molitor’s two-run homer. Carter began yelling into the Oakland dugout, both benches cleared, but there were no fights.

Between games of the double-header, A’s coach Carney Lansford was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Al Clark while taking out the lineup card.

And in an argument over a called third strike, Roberto Alomar was ejected in the fifth inning of the second game. He was the first Toronto player thrown out of a game this season.

Minnesota 9, Boston 5--The Boston bullpen blew another game as Stan Belinda gave up a tie-breaking broken-bat single to Chuck Knoblauch in the eighth inning at Minneapolis.

Belinda (7-1) gave up a walk and two singles to start the eighth before Knoblauch blooped a hit to left, scoring Scott Stahoviak and Jeff Reboulet. One out later, Rheal Cormier gave up a two-run single to Pedro Munoz as the Twins won for the fourth time in five games.

Cleveland 7, Seattle 3--Kenny Lofton tripled twice, drove in two runs and scored twice--once by stealing home--as the Indians overcame an early three-run deficit at Cleveland.

Albert Belle homered and Wayne Kirby tripled for the Indians, winners of 10 of their last 13 games.

Charles Nagy (7-4) won his third consecutive game, giving up three runs in the first inning but then shutting out the Mariners on three hits over the next eight innings.

New York 7, Texas 3--Pinch-hitter Paul O’Neill broke a seventh-inning tie with a bases-loaded triple and Jack McDowell won for the fifth time in six starts as the Yankees rallied past the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

Texas starter Kenny Rogers gave up two hits in the first five innings, but was removed with one out in the sixth after giving up two runs and six hits. He threw a tantrum in the dugout after he was taken out, kicking a water cooler, throwing his cap and punching a trainer’s bag.

Baltimore 5, Chicago 2--Curtis Goodwin drove in two runs and Mike Mussina won his fourth consecutive start as the Orioles won their third in a row at Chicago.

Goodwin went three for four with two RBI singles.

Kansas City 4, Detroit 1--A strong starting outing by Mark Gubicza ended the Tigers’ five-game winning streak at Detroit.

Jon Nunnally homered for the Royals, who ended a three-game losing streak with only their sixth victory in their last 19 games.