Wells Caps a Special Day for Yankees

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May 12, 1997 12 AM PT

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From Associated Press

Beyond the outfield wall, David Wells warmed up undistracted while Yankee Stadium was once again filled with the sights and sounds of 1996.

And although he wasn’t with the New York Yankees for their ride to the 1996 title, Wells showed why the club could be headed for another special October.

Wells gave up just five hits in 8 1/3 innings Sunday to lead the New York Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at New York.

Bernie Williams had three hits, including his sixth homer as the Yankees won for the 16th time in 21 games.

During a pregame ceremony, kicked off by a video replay of last year’s World Series highlights, the Yankees finally received their championship rings for defeating the Atlanta Braves.

Baltimore 9, Seattle 5--B.J. Surhoff homered, tripled and drove in six runs, matching his career high, as the Orioles won at Baltimore to gain a split of the four-game series between division leaders.

Roberto Alomar had three hits, scored three runs and stole two bases to help the Orioles avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. The split kept Baltimore unbeaten in 13 series this year (7-0-6).

Surhoff singled to drive in a run in the first inning, hit a two-run homer in the third and added a bases-loaded triple in Baltimore’s five-run fifth. Needing a double for the cycle, he struck out in the sixth and again in the eighth.

Texas 8, Boston 6--Rookie Julio Santana, replacing injured starter Roger Pavlik, pitched 5 2/3 innings for his first major league victory as the Rangers defeated the Red Sox to complete a three-game sweep at Boston.

Pavlik was scratched Sunday morning because of elbow problems, and Santana (1-0) made his first big league start, giving up seven hits, striking out four and walked three.

John Wetteland got four outs for his eighth save in nine chances for the Rangers, who also got three runs batted in from Lee Stevens.

Detroit 11, Cleveland 3--Tony Clark homered twice as the Tigers routed the Indians at Detroit and handed Orel Hershiser his first loss in eight starts this season.

Phil Nevin and Damion Easley homered and Bobby Higginson hit three doubles for Detroit. The Indians, 12-0, against the Tigers last season, have lost three of five to Detroit this year.

Clark hit a solo homer in a three-run sixth that put the Tigers ahead, 4-2, and added a two-run homer in the three-run seventh following Higginson’s third double. Clark, who also homered in Detroit’s 6-0 victory Saturday, has 13 homers and 39 RBIs.

Toronto 3, Minnesota 2--Jacob Brumfield scored from second on a infield grounder to snap a 1-1 tie, then threw out the potential tying run in the bottom of the ninth as the Blue Jays edged the Twins at Minneapolis.

Brumfield singled to left in the fifth inning and moved to second on an infield single by Carlos Garcia. He was running on the pitch when Otis Nixon grounded a slow chopper to Chuck Knoblauch at second.

Knoblauch fielded the ball and threw to first baseman Brent Brede. Brumfield never hesitated around third base and scored standing up, well ahead of Brede’s throw.

In the Minnesota ninth, Matt Lawton drew a leadoff walk from Dan Plesac and Terry Steinbach greeted reliever Mike Timlin with a single, sending Lawton to third with none out. But Brumfield caught Todd Walker’s fly in left field and threw a one-hopper to the plate where catcher Benito Santiago tagged out Lawton.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: B.J. Surhoff

Team: Baltimore

Performance: 3 for 5, 6 RBIs, triple, home run

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Albert Belle

Team: Chicago

Performance: 3 for 3, 5 RBIs, double, grand slam

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Lee Stevens