AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Reardon Ties Save Record, Red Sox Win

The record-tying save was by no means one of his best, but Jeff Reardon is not going to reject it.

Reardon gave up a run in the ninth inning, but preserved the Boston Red Sox’s 5-3 victory Saturday at Toronto. His 341st save tied Hall of Fame electee Rollie Fingers’ major league record.

“I’m real proud. It’s a record and something I’ve worked for,” Reardon said. “But the big save will be the next one. This just ties it.”

Joe Hesketh (3-3) held the slumping Blue Jays to four hits in 6 1/3 innings and Greg Harris retired all five batters he faced. But Reardon, who began his career as a reliever with the New York Mets in 1979, was brought in to protect a 5-2 lead.

He retired two batters, then gave up an infield hit to Kelly Gruber and a run-scoring double to John Olerud. He struck out Candy Maldonado to get his 14th save this season in 15 opportunities.

Hesketh, who struck out five and walked one, was one of the first Red Sox players to rush out to congratulate Reardon.

“I pitched with Jeff in Montreal and he was saving games for me there, too,” Hesketh said. “He used to be a power pitcher, and now he’s a pitcher. But for the last out, he just humped a fastball, and he can still do that.”

Ellis Burks and Phil Plantier hit consecutive home runs against Todd Stottlemyre during the second inning and Mike Greenwell hit a two-run shot during the third for a 4-1 lead. The Red Sox, who knocked the Blue Jays out of first place in the American League East Friday night, are 16-7 at the SkyDome.

Both Toronto runs were home runs. Dave Winfield hit his 11th in the second inning and hot-hitting Joe Carter hit his 13th in the fourth. Carter is 18 for 51 with 11 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs in 12 games in June.

Stottlemyre lasted only 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

Career Save Leaders

All-time save leaders since 1969, when saves became an official major league statistic:

x-Jeff Reardon: 341

Rollie Fingers: 341

x-Lee Smith: 328

x-Rich Gossage: 308

Bruce Sutter: 300

x-Dave Righetti: 251

Dan Quisenberry: 244

Sparky Lyle: 222

x-John Franco: 220

Gene Garber: 218

x-active

Oakland 7, Texas 1--Control problems have made it difficult for Bobby Witt to become a star for the Rangers.

For seven innings at Oakland, he seemed to have everything under control. He and the Athletics’ Dave Stewart were in a 1-1 tie and he had walked only one batter.

But during the eighth, Witt lost it. He walked four batters to force home the go-ahead run and was already long gone when Mark McGwire hit a grand slam against Kenny Rogers to climax the six-run inning.

It was McGwire’s major league-leading 23rd home run, fifth grand slam and gave him a major league-leading 53 runs batted in.

Carney Lansford’s first home run in two years in the first inning was hit No. 2,000 in his career and one of the three hits against Witt. Lansford also walked with the bases loaded during the eighth to score the go-ahead run. Terry Mathews relieved and walked Jose Canseco to force in another run. Rogers came in and got Willie Wilson to foul out.

McGwire hit Rogers’ next pitch on a line over the center field fence.

“I’m just glad I finally got a hit off Texas pitching,” said McGwire, who had only six hits in his previous 50 at-bats against the Rangers. “They’ve got a great pitching staff.”

Chicago 4, Minnesota 2--One of Jack McDowell’s strong points is control. He walks a batter about every five innings. Although he walked four batters in 6 2/3 innings at Minneapolis, he frustrated the Twins long enough to become a nine-game winner.

McDowell (9-3) gave up seven hits despite constant trouble. Nine times he held the Twins hitless with a runner in scoring position. Finally, with two out in the seventh, Shane Mack singled home the Twins’ runs.

Detroit 15, Baltimore 1--Rob Deer hit two home runs and drove in five runs and Cecil Fielder hit a two-run home run at Detroit. An eight-run eighth turned a big lead into a rout.

Mark Leiter (5-3) given a four-run cushion in the first inning, went the distance to win his second in a row.

The Orioles missed a chance to increase their lead in the East. They lead the Blue Jays by four percentage points.

The Blue Jays and Orioles have been separated in the standings by one game or less for the last 44 days.

New York 4, Cleveland 1--Maybe the Yankees should find a place in the lineup for Jim Leyritz. In his 13th start, he hit a three-run home run during the sixth inning at Cleveland to end the Yankees’ four-game losing streak.

Leyritz was the designated hitter for the fifth time. He has started eight as a catcher. In the 13 games he’s hitting .341 with five home runs and 13 runs batted in.

Milwaukee 8, Seattle 7--Paul Molitor hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning at Seattle, and the Brewers won at the Kingdome after losing 11 in a row there.

The Mariners have won only three of their last 12 games.