The Oakland Athletics are in last place in the AL West and the Milwaukee Brewers are last in the East. That doesn't mean either team is playing out the season without a fight.
The teams played 17 1/2 relatively uneventful innings Tuesday night before things started happening to make the doubleheader a memorable one.Milwaukee won the opener 9-2. The second game, a 7-6 Brewers victory in 13 innings, got crazy after nine innings.
A brawl broke out in the nightcap after Milwaukee rallied with two runs in the ninth to tie the game 6-6. Reliever Dennis Eckersley and manager Tony La Russa were ejected for arguing with home-plate umpire Dale Scott, and the commotion drew Brewers manager Phil Garner out of the dugout.
Garner exchanged words with La Russa as both benches emptied. Oakland's Troy Neel tackled Dickie Thon, sparking several fights. The biggest blow was struck by Oakland's Edwin Nunez, who bloodied B.J. Surhoff with a punch. The game was delayed for 25 minutes.
The extra innings featured pitcher Ricky Bones, the winner of the opener, playing right field and pitcher Matt Maysey delivering a key hit in his first major-league at-bat.
In the 13th, the Brewers loaded the bases on a one-out single by Kevin Reimer and two-out singles by Maysey (1-1) and Listach. Dave Nilsson then sliced a 1-0 pitch from Kelly Downs (3-9) down the left-field line, scoring Reimer.
Garner, Thon and coach Tim Foli were ejected, and Neel, Nunez, coaches Tommie Reynolds and Dave Duncan, and Mark McGwire, on the disabled list, were tossed for Oakland.
Reimer went 6-for-6 with a walk, setting a career-high for hits and tying the team record set by Johnny Briggs on August 4, 1973.
In the first game, Bones (9-8) allowed two runs on six hits over eight innings, and Rick Honeycutt (0-4) took the loss as Oakland lost its fourth straight.
Tigers 4, Mariners 1
John Doherty pitched a three-hitter, and Mickey Tettleton and Dan Gladden hit seventh-inning homers as host Detroit stretched its winning streak to four.
Blue Jays 8, Cleveland 6
Joe Carter hit his fifth home run in the last three games for host Toronto, which regained a one-game lead over New York in the AL East. Cleveland had its five-game win streak and seven-game road win streak snapped.
Orioles 1, Angels 0
Jamie Moyer (9-6) allowed three hits in eight innings and Cal Ripken drove in the game's only run for host Baltimore.
White Sox 4, Yankees 2
Ellis Burks' two-run double in the seventh inning snapped a 2-2 tie. Tim Raines opened the seventh with a single off Jim Abbott (9-11) and Frank Thomas walked one out later. Burks followed with his game-winner off reliever Bobby Munoz.
Royals 5, Twins 3
Brian McRae hit a two-run triple in a three-run seventh inning and David Cone (10-11) got the win for host Kansas City. Jeff Montgomery got his AL-leading 39th save.
Rangers 4, Red Sox 3
David Hulse drove in two runs and Rafael Palmeiro hit his 32nd homer to send visiting Boston to its fifth straight loss.