American League

NEW YORK Yankee pitcher Jimmy Key won his major-league-leading 22nd game last Friday at Camden Yards, handcuffing the Orioles 3-1. Baltimore, still in second place, sank to 11 1/2 games behind the Yankees.No, it wasn't some game played on the sly on the 37th day of the players' strike. Rather, it was a computer game played by the New York Daily News, which has devoted an entire page to simulated major-league games and statistics every day since the players' strike began.The News' computer program, based on statistics until the moment of the strike, told us this about the race that wasn't, with 16 games to go:* Cal Ripken's streak was intact, although he didn't get the ball out of the infield against the Yanks Friday.

Everyone knows that success and failure in baseball come in cycles -- for players, for managers, for teams, even for leagues.The cycle that has the American League riding high right now has so many facets and such powerful momentum, the National League has to wonder if their junior partners will defy gravity and never come back down."

SEATTLE - Perhaps everyone should have known that Cal Ripken would not go quietly into retirement. He has risen to the occasion time after time, so why would his last All-Star Game be any different? Ripken came to Safeco Field to take his final All-Star bow last night, and left with another magic Ripken moment, breaking a scoreless tie with a third-inning home run that helped the American League score a 4-1 victory. Baseball isn't usually about perfection, but how much closer can you get?

Cecil Fielder rejected a four-year, $17 million offer from the Detroit Tigers, according to a newspaper report yesterday.Fielder, who is eligible to file for salary arbitration next month, cited the $29 million, five-year contract free agent Bobby Bonilla received from the New York Mets, The Oakland Press of Pontiac, Mich., reported.Fielder, in his two years with the Tigers, has hit 95 homers and driven in in 265 runs. He won the American League home run title with 51 in 1990 and shared it with Jose Canseco this year.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Orioles owner Peter Angelos came to Major League Baseball's quarterly owners meeting prepared for a verbal onslaught from disgruntled fellow owners, but his resistance to replacement baseball went unchallenged during the three-day meeting."

AMERICAN LEAGUE Who's hot The Devil Rays' nine starters each had at least one hit against the Blue Jays. Who's not LaTroy Hawkins, Twins closer, allowed a leadoff walk, a wild pitch and an RBI sin gle in the ninth. It's a fact The Angels played a day opener for the first time since 1993 and opened on the road for the first time since 1994. NATIONAL LEAGUE Who's hot Barry Larkin, Reds leadoff man, has reached base in six of eight plate appear ances. Who's not The Pirates went 0-for-11 with men in scoring position against the Reds.