Witt Goes All the Way for Texas, 5-1

Bobby Witt has finally learned the difference between being a hard thrower and a pitcher.

Witt pitched a five-hitter for Texas’ first complete game of the year and the Rangers ended their season-high three-game losing streak Friday night with a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox at Boston.

“As recent as early last year, we all knew Bobby as a pitcher who, when he got in trouble, would try to throw the ball harder,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “Now he’ll take something off it.”

Witt (6-0) walked one and struck out six. Last Sunday, the Red Sox roughed him for six runs in four innings.

“I didn’t necessarily want to throw the first pitch as hard as I can, but I wanted my first pitch to be a strike,” said Witt, who moved into a second-place tie with Ferguson Jenkins on the Rangers’ career victory list with No. 93.

The Rangers had gone 30 games without a complete game, the longest drought at the start of a season in team history.

Kansas City 7, New York 5--The Royals, aided by a rare reversal of an umpire’s ruling on a bizarre play, used shortstop Derek Jeter’s throwing error and a run-scoring double by Jeff King to defeat the Yankees in 12 innings at New York.

New York played the game under protest after the controversial play in the sixth inning. A Royal runner was called out, then allowed to return to a base, leading to a three-run inning that tied the score, 3-3.

Royal reliever Hipolito Pichardo escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 10th by striking out pinch-hitter Wade Boggs and Joe Girardi. Pichardo has not given up a run in 15 games this season, totaling 17 innings.

Cleveland 5, Detroit 0--David Justice and Matt Williams homered, and Charles Nagy pitched his first shutout since 1995 as the Indians continued their mastery over the Tigers with victory at Detroit.

Nagy (5-2), who has pitched into the sixth inning in all eight of his starts, gave up seven hits, struck out a season-high 11 and walked two in his first complete game of the season.

Nagy got his first shutout since Sept. 13, 1995 against the Yankees, and fell one strikeout short of his career high.

Seattle 8, Baltimore 2--Ken Griffey Jr. hit his major league-leading 15th homer and drove in four runs, and Joey Cora tied a career-high with five hits, including a homer at Baltimore.

Griffey’s homer, a three-run shot, gave the Mariners a 6-0 lead in the fourth. He also singled, walked and hit a sacrifice fly.

Jamie Moyer (2-0) gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings for the Mariners.

Toronto 4, Minnesota 1--Pat Hentgen gave up six hits in eight innings and the Blue Jays took advantage of Minnesota’s sloppy defense to win at Minneapolis.

A passed ball in the second and two errors in the sixth led to two Toronto runs as the Twins lost for the 13th time in 16 games.

Hentgen (3-1), who held the Twins to four hits in a 1-0 victory at Toronto last Sunday, gave up singles on his first two pitches of the game. But he gave up only four more singles while striking out five.

Minnesota’s only run was unearned, ending Hentgen’s string of scoreless innings at 16. Mike Timlin pitched the ninth for his third save, and Toronto won for the sixth time in seven games.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

*--*

Player Team Performance Team’s Result Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle 2 for 3, 4 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run Win Joey Cora Seattle 5 for 5, 3 runs, 1 RBI, home run Win Joe Carter Toronto 2 for 4, scored 2 of team’s 4 runs Win Scott Spiezio Oakland 3 for 4, 1 RBI, double, home run Loss

*--*

PITCHING

*--*

Player Team Performance Team’s Result Charles Nagy Cleveland 9 innings, 7 hits, 0 runs, 11 strikeouts Win Pat Hentgen Toronto 8 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 5 stikeouts Win Bobby Witt Texas 9 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 6 strikeouts Win

*--*