On a night when Mark McGwire hit his 40th and 41st home runs of the season, another Oakland slugger topped him.
Geronimo Berroa hit three home runs in a game for the second time this year to lead the Athletics to an 11-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.
Berroa, who also hit three homers on May 22 at New York, became the 10th player in major-league history to hit three homers in a game twice in the same season. Detroit’s Cecil Fielder was the last to accomplish the feat in 1990.
“I just swing hard, that’s all,” Berroa said.
The A’s have 193 homers this season and are on a pace to break the major-league team record of 240 set by the 1961 New York Yankees.
McGwire, who leads the majors in home runs, and Berroa hit back-to-back homers in the first off Rich Robertson. Berroa hit a three-homer in the third to give the A’s a 7-0 lead, and capped his night with a solo homer in the eighth, his 29th.
McGwire, who has played 90 of Oakland’s 120 games, needs 20 homers in the Athletics’ final 42 games to tie Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs in one season.
– – –
Albert Belle isn’t known for his defense, but he’ll make the highlight shows at least once this season.
Belle reached over the left-field fence to rob Chili Davis of a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Indians edged the Angels 5-4 in Anaheim.
Belle gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead in the third with a two-run single. He leads the majors with 110 RBIs.
– – –
Edgar Martinez returned to Seattle’s lineup Monday night, but it’s starting to look like the Mariners may need a rerun of last season’s heroic finish, when they overtook California for the division title.
Kansas City rookie Kevin Sweeney capped a seven-run sixth inning with his first career homer and the Royals handed the Mariners their seventh loss in a row 10-4.
Before 43,476 fans at the Kingdome, which pushed the Mariners’ home attendance to more than 2 million for the third time in franchise history, Seattle fell six games behind the Rangers in the AL West.
Texas beat Detroit 7-0 on Ken Hill’s five-hitter. Seattle is five games behind the White Sox for the wild card.
Martinez, who had a rib injury and missed three weeks, went 1 for 4. But second baseman Joey Cora left the game with a bruised knee.
– – –
Monday night’s game between the Brewers and Orioles in Baltimore was postponed because of rain; it was rescheduled for Sept. 16. They meet again Tuesday and Wednesday, but both teams play Friday double-headers.
