The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 27

THE PALM BEACH POST WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1997 5C Baseball NL notebook Clemens AL9s first 18-game winner Palmer, who is 10-for-21 with runners in scoring position and has 16 RBI in 18 games since coming over in a trade with Texas, singled home a run in the fourth, opened the sixth with his 17th homer, and had a go- ahead two-run double in the seventh. Rangers 12, Red Sox 2: Texas showed off for former president George Bush night by routing Boston for the second consecutive game, scoring 10 runs in the first four innings at Fenway Park. The Rangers had 17 hits to win their third consecutive game. Bobby Witt (11-8) pitched his third complete game. LATE MONDAY Mariners 11, Brewers 1: Jamie Moyer held Milwaukee to three hits in seven innings, Jay Buhner drove in four runs and Seattle moved into a first-place tie in the AL West with an 11-1 win over the visiting Milwaukee.

Indians 7, Tigers 4: Manny Ramirez hit a 416-foot homer, his 18th, in a three-run fourth as host Cleveland won for only the ninth time in 26 games. David Justice was 3-for-3, including a two-run double in the first. Brewers 5, Mariners 3: Rookie Steve Woodard avenged a recent pounding by Seattle, overcoming Ken Griffey 37th home run and pitching Milwaukee past the Mariners at the Kingdome. Woodard (2-1) allowed only four hits in seven innings. He struck out six, walked one and gave up solo homers to Griffey and Russ Davis, his 17th.

On Aug. 2, Woodard gave up six runs in two innings in a 14-4 loss. Royals 6, Yankees 4: Dean Palmer homered and drove in four runs as Kansas City ended host New York's three-game winning streak. American League son pitched a three-hitter and Rafael Palmeiro had three hits, including a three-run homer, as Baltimore defeated Oakland at Camden Yards. Palmeiro's 24th home run highlighted a four-run first inning that boosted Baltimore to its 12th win in 15 games.

The victory pushed the Orioles a season-high 32 games over .500 (73-41). White Sox 8, Angels 5: Albert Belle homered twice to end one of the longest power droughts of his career and Chicago beat Anaheim at home. Belle hit a solo shot in the second, his first homer since July 18, ending a 21-game homerless streak two short of his longest drought while with the Cleveland Indians. csv fc rJ---t-J hT' THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh's Tony Womack dives safely back into first base as Braves first baseman Fred McGriff takes the throw. The Pirates scored four in the ninth and won 5-2.

Wohlers shelled in 9th; Cards' McGwire lights up The Associated Press TORONTO Roger Clemens became the first 18-game winner in the major leagues, striking out 13 as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 9-1 Tuesday night. Clemens (18-4) allowed eight hits and lowered his ERA to 1.66, best in the majors. He walked one in his eighth complete game, tied with teammate Pat Hentgen for most in the AL. "The fans were great," Clemens said. "The emotional lift they gave me really helped give me an edge and, at the same time, put the hitters at a disadvantage.

"But the offense made it happen for me tonight with the run support. It allowed me to go right after them." Clemens tied Jesse Haines with 210 career victories, good for 78th place on the career list. Orioles 8, Athletics 0: Scott Erick- Phillips charged for drugs The Associated Press CHICAGO Tony Phillips was charged Tuesday with felony possession of cocaine in California, and the Anaheim Angels announced later that the infielder would not return to the lineup until he met with doctors representing baseball and the players' union. Phillips was arrested early Sunday by Anaheim police, who said he bought a small quantity of free-base cocaine at a motel. After missing Sunday's game and spending Mon Phillips day at his home in Arizona, Phillips entered the Angels' clubhouse about 2V2 hours before Tuesday night's game against his former team, the Chicago White Sox.

He had no comment. Roundup A team spokesman said he did not know where or when Phillips would meet with the doctors. Angels general manager Bill Bavasi said he, the players and Phillips would not comment. The charge of possession of a controlled substance carries a maximum sentence of three years, but first offenders completing a drug counseling program and periodic testing for up to a year can have the case dismissed, although they must first plead guilty on a "deferred entry of judgment." BNo decision on Whiten: Gale Shelton, an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County, said it would be at least several more days before a decision was made on whether to charge Yankees outfielder Mark Whiten with sexual assault. Whiten was released on $10,000 bond after a 31-year-old woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Milwaukee hotel room July 19.

The Yankees were in Milwaukee playing the Brewers at the time. Whiten has said the sex was consensual. Police have recommended a charge of second-degree sexual assault, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Shelton would not comment on any specifics in the investigation. O's PA announcer dies: Rex Barney, who pitched a no-hitter for the 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers and enjoyed widespread popularity as the Baltimore Orioles' longtime public address announcer, was found dead at his home Tuesday.

He was 72. The team honored Mr. Barney at Tuesday night's home game against Oakland by playing without the benefit of a PA announcer. Mr. Barney worked the Orioles' last home game July 30 before a nine-game road trip.

The cause of death was not known Tuesday night. 1 The against which against loss Denny save out, my only and singled the runs, from led for to at since Mets in four. off Greg as week," he's him, they include and Palm Beach Post Staff and Wire Reports Atlanta Braves: Monday surpased the 2.5 million mark for home crowds. Chicago Cubs: Have lost 14-of-18 and are 25 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 6.

1986. Cincinnati Reds: Reliever Pedro Martinez made his first appearance of the season for the Reds. Colorado Rockies: Have turned at least one double play in their last 12 games. Houston Astros: Have played Florida 52 times, with each team winning 26 times. Los Angeles Dodgers: The Cubs and Dodgers are the only teams that haven't hit a grand slam this season.

Montreal Expos: Sherman Obando will have surgery on his right elbow today and will miss the rest of the season. New York Mets: Keith Hernandez, one of the heroes of the Mets' 1986 World Series championship team, has been elected to the Mets' Hall of Fame. He will be inducted Sept. 14 before a game against Montreal. Philadelphia Phillies: Garrett Stephenson was scratched from his start today to attend an aunt's funeral in Salt Lake City.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Are 3-8 in their past 1 1 games against Atlanta and Florida, the top teams in the NL, and have been outscored 71-30. St. Louis Cardinals: Catcher Tom Pagnozzi, out since April 30 because of a hip flexor and a pulled groin, was activated from the disabled list. Infielder Scott Livingstone was put on the 1 5-day DL with a sore elbow to make room for Pagnozzi. San Diego Padres: Tony Gwynn, who has been out since having a kidney stone removed Sunday in Chicago, hopes to play Thursday.

Gwynn had arthroscopic surgery to remove the kidney stone, which was diagnosed Friday. San Francisco Giants: With Tuesday's victory, the Giants tied their win total (67) for all of the 1995 season. They need one more win to match their 68 wins last season. AL notebook Palm Beach Post Staff and Wire Reports Anaheim Angels: Signed four players drafted in June to minor-league contracts pitchers Michael Brunet and Steve Green, catcher Robert Garrick and shortstop Steve Ahlers. Baltimore Orioles: Roberto Alomar, who is eligible to come off the disabled list today, isn't ready manager Davey Johnson said.

He will continue to rehabilitate the pulled right groin he injured on July 29. Boston Red Sox: Signed pitcher Chris Bosio to a minor-league deal. Bosio, 34, has had nine knee operations and has not pitched since September. Chicago White Sox: Their crowd Tuesday was a smallish 1 6,975 for their first home game since trading Wilson Alvarez, Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin to San Francisco. Cleveland Indians: Despite losing that past 1 7-of-26 games, Indians' General Manager John Hart said that manager Mike Hargrove's job was safe.

Detroit Tigers: Placed outfielder Melvin Nieves on the 1 5-day disabled list so he can spend time with his newborn son, who underwent surgery last week to correct a heart ailment. Kansas City Royals: Dean Palmer's three hits Tuesday raised his average to .362 (25-for-69) since joining the Royals. Milwaukee Brewers: Have won only four times in 1 7 games on the West Coast this season. Minnesota Twins: Pitcher Rich Robertson started 7-3 but has lost his past eight starts. New York Yankees: Activated outfielder Tim Raines, sidelined since early June because of a strained left hamstring, from the disabled list and designated outfielder-designated hitter Pete Incaviglia for assignment.

Oakland Athletics: Carlos Reyes is 3-13 lifetime as a starter and 1 1-10 as a reliever. Seattle Mariners: Ken Griffey 275th career homer tied him with Roger Maris and Brian Downing for 89th. Texas Rangers: Benji Gil broke a 0-21 slump at Fenway Park on Monday with a 3-for-4 performance. Toronto Blue Jays: From 1977 to 1981, the Blue Jays lost all five season series to the Twins. Since then they've won 14 (including this season).

Blue Jays' Nixon sent to Dodgers TORONTO Center fielder Otis Nixon, second in the AL with 47 stolen bases, was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday for minor-league catcher Bobby! Cnpps. Nixon, 38, was batting .262 with 26 RBIs in 102 games for Toronto. He is a career .268 hitter with 545 career steals, including 47-in-57 attempts this year. Nixon be Nixon gan Tuesday's game against Minnesota with a season-high nine-game hitting streak. He grounded out in the first inning and was pulled from the game.

Nixon's career stats 7C A switch-hitter, Nixon returns to the NL, where he played three seasons with Montreal and three! years with Atlanta from 1988 to 1993. The Dodgers, trailing San Francisco by two games in the NL West at the time of the trade, have been using Roger Cedeno in center field, Brett Butler in left and Raul Mondesi in right. They also have outfielder Todd Hollands-worth, who has slumped after winning the 1996 NL Rookie of the Year award. Cripps, 20, was hitting .310 with four home runs and 25 RBIs in 47 games at Great Falls of the Class A Pioneer League. He was the Dodgers' 40th round pick in the 1995 June draft.

The Blue Jays recalled outfielder Shannon Stewart from Triple-A Syracuse to take Nixon's spot. FSL W.P.B. Expos lose to Tigers Special to The Palm Beach Post LAKELAND The Tigers (31-18) scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eight inning in a 5-4 win over the Expos (26-24) on Tuesday night. Michael Barrett went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the loss for West Palm Beach. Tigers 5, Expos 4 WEST PALM BEACH LAKELAND hbi Valdez cf Carroll 2b Brinkley rf Barrett Schwab If Haas lb Camilll ss Bess dh Bustos lb Totals 0 I 1 Macias 2b 0 0 0 Perez ss 1 1 0 Kapler rf 1 1 1 Frelre lb I 1 OBalfedh 0 1 1 VillalbsJb 0 0 OHernaiilf 0 0 0 Conner cf 1 2 OCardonac 4 8 4 Totals 3 1 1 40 0 3 1 0 4 I I 4 I 3 40 I 40 2 3 30 1 West Palm Beach Lakeland 201 100 000 -110 0O0 01X E-Steenson, Cardona.

LOB-WPB 2, Lakeland 5. DP-Lakeland 3. 2B-Vacias, Frelre, Balle. 3B-Bus-tos. HR-Barrett (7), Balle (13).

SB-Schwab. IP CK 8B SO West Palm Beach DaSilva Stevenson Marque; (L, 1-1) Lakeland Bettencourt (W, 6-9) Durkovlc (S, 7) 30 30 2.0 10 10 WP-DaSilva. 2:31. A-22S. time for good Sanders still plans to keep playing with Reds, Cowboys The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Deion Sanders, who is less than three weeks from returning to his role as a two-sport athlete, said Tuesday a bulging disc would not affect him when he takes the football field for the Dallas Cowboys.

Sanders, who missed Sunday's game for the Cincinnati Reds after getting a steroid injection in his back, has been bothered by the disc when he runs. But he said the back problem should not hamper his play at cornerback. Sanders said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called him Saturday to ask about the injury, and that he assured Jones everything would be fine. He even joked about his tackling skills, which have often been derided. Under an agreement he has had all season with the Reds and Cowboys, Sanders will play for Dallas on Sundays beginning Aug.

31 and spend the rest of the week with the Reds. Though Sanders' contract allows him to leave the Reds once Cincinnati is eliminated from the playoff hunt, Sanders has said he would like to play the full baseball season. Associated Press ATLANTA Turner Ward's two-run single Mark Wohlers highlighted a four-run ninth gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-2 victory Atlanta on Tuesday night, the Braves' first this season when leading after eight innings. Ward's one-out hit with the bases loaded cost Neagle a chance to become the NL's first 17-game winner and denied Wohlers the 100th of his career. National League "It got ugly," said Wohlers.

"I got the first guy but after that it was all downhill. Obviously, control wasn't there." Wohlers (4-5) took the loss instead, and he had himself to blame. With one out in the ninth the Braves holding a 2-1 lead, Jason Kendall and stole second before Wohlers walked next two hitters, Dale Sveum and Mark Smith. Cardinals 5, Mets 2: Slumping Mark McGwire homered, doubled and drove in three leading St. Louis over visiting New York.

McGwire was just 3-for-35 since being traded Oakland on July 31 before breaking loose. He off the fourth inning with his second NL homer a 3-1 lead, then hit a two-run double in the fifth. "It's not an easy transition and I'm still trying get comfortable," McGwire said. fl Cubs 4, Dodgers 2: Jose Hernandez, playing only because of an injury to shortstop Shawon Dunston, hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning and Chicago defeated Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium. Mark Clark (9-7), pitching for the first time being traded to the Cubs by the New York last week, allowed nine hits but just two runs six-plus innings.

He walked none and struck out Padres 6, Expos 4: Rickey Henderson led the seventh with his 250th career homer and Vaughn added a two-run double in the inning San Diego rallied to beat visiting Montreal. Henderson, who's attracting interest from several AL contenders, connected on a 1-0 pitch from reliever Rick DeHart (0-1) to tie the game at 4. "Something could happen by the end of the General Manager Kevin Towers said Tuesday night of a trade. "It's not easy because been the lifeblood of the club. If we do trade by no means are we conceding the season." Towers wouldn't identify the clubs, but said are predominantly in the AL.

They could the Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels Seattle Mariners. Phillies 5, Rockies 0: Matt Beech ended his string of 22 straight starts without a victory, pitching Philadelphia past Colorado at Coors Field. Beech (1-7) had not won since beating Atlanta in his first major-league start on Aug. 8, 1996. He was winless in his first 15 starts this season.

Giants 7, Reds 3: Wilson Alvarez struck out nine in Th innings and drove in a run with his first major-league hit as San Francisco defeated Cincinnati at 3Com Park. Alvarez (2-1), making his third start since the July 31 trade that brought him with pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin from the Chicago White Sox for six minor-leaguers, allowed three runs on seven hits. LATE MONDAY Expos 6, Padres 3: Montreal rookie Vladimir Guerrero's two-run homer, a 443-foot shot in the sixth inning snapped a tie at 1 at San Diego. Reds 7, Giants 4: Kent Mercker (8-8) pitched seven strong innings and Deion Sanders, Chris Stynes and Joe Oliver homered as Cincinnati won its third straight at San Francisco. Yankees welcome back Irabu; Torre says this Yankee Stadium.

"He's in the same boat," manager Joe Torre said. "I don't think we questioned his ability. I think when he left here he was too clogged up. He needed to take a vacuum in there and just clean out all the thoughts that have been confusing him. "I talked to (pitching coordinator) Billy Connors," Torre said, "and he said Irabu was in a good frame of mind.

I'm anxious to see him." Torre will watch Irabu closely, but The New York Times NEW YORK There will be obstacles: cameras, layers of television cables, a nest of Japanese news media and throngs of people watching his every facial tick. Somehow, the Yankees need Hideki Irabu to keep the pathway to his thoughts uncluttered. The last time Irabu let his surroundings trip him up, his pitching suffered. After having a chance to pull himself together in the minor leagues, Irabu returns to the starting rotation today to start against the Kansas City Royals at there is no pitch count. The Yankees are treating today's assignment as just another start for Irabu.

This is not being portrayed as a tryout by the team. Irabu is expected to remain a fixture, which is how the team owner, George Stein-brenner, wants it. And Torre said Irabu would not be sent back to the minors to keep him on schedule during the Yankees' three off days this month. "I don't think I want to deal with anyone's psyche like that, especially with someone where there could be a communication problem," Torre said. "I'm not sure he would understand that." It seems Irabu's spot in the rotation is set.

There will be no quick ejection button at the first sign of trouble. If Irabu can handle the major-league environment and Torre has already let Irabu know that he has to focus and maintain a professional approach unlike the one that left him spitting at fans in Milwaukee when his stuff unraveled the Yankees believe he can discover the impressive form he revealed in his first start. 0V 1 Z- -X Irabu.