Clemens Displays Old Form
American League
Roger Clemens wants to slip quietly back to a team that was strong without him. There’s not much chance of that if he keeps pitching as well as he did Wednesday.
In his second start since recovering from shoulder trouble, the three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out eight and allowed two hits and two walks in five innings as the Boston Red Sox beat the visiting California Angels 5-1.
Boston’s eighth win in nine games increased its A.L. East lead to nine games over Baltimore. California’s A.L. West lead dropped to a halfgame over Texas.
“When somebody’s playing that well, you want to slide in the back door and go unnoticed,” Clemens said.
The Angels noticed.
“It was a pretty good indication of how good a pitcher he has become because he can do other things than just throw the ball by you,” California manager Marcel Lachemann said. “He showed how well he can pitch when he doesn’t have his best stuff. It’s an indication of what’s to come.”
Clemens (1-0) struggled last Friday in his 1995 debut, one that was delayed by a strained right shoulder muscle. This time, he let only two runners reach second base. He left after throwing 87 pitches with better control and speed than in his first outing.
“I’m just trying to get to a point where I can get seven innings in and take the strain off the other guys,” Clemens said.
Rheal Cormier, Stan Belinda and Ken Ryan completed the six-hitter one night after California’s 12-3 win over Boston.
“I said to the guys after all the runs they scored last night, ‘Save some for me.’ It looks like they didn’t,” said California starter Chuck Finley.
Boston scored on RBI singles by Luis Alicea in the third and Mike Macfarlane and Troy O’Leary in the seventh against Finley (3-5), who had won his three previous starts. Tim Naehring added a two-run double in the eighth.
Rangers 10, Royals 4
Arlington, Texas
Mark McLemore broke out of a 5-for-42 slump with a two-run homer and keyed a six-run sixth with an RBI single as Texas beat Kansas City by rallying from a 4-0 deficit.
Blue Jays 4, White Sox 3
Chicago
Al Leiter (4-2) had his scoreless innings streak snapped at 23 innings but still managed his third straight victory as Toronto used a four-run fifth to beat Chicago.
Brewers 6, Twins 3
Minneapolis
Darryl Hamilton’s two-run single in the eighth helped Milwaukee hand Minnesota its seventh consecutive home loss.
Hamilton singled to right off Scott Erickson (2-5), who had a perfect game through five innings.
Yankees 6, Athletics 1
New York
Rookie left-hander Andy Pettitte (1-2) held Oakland to four hits over seven innings for his first major league victory as New York won for just the third time in its last 15 games.
Indians 3, Tigers 2 (10)
Cleveland
Jim Thome led off the 10th with a homer on a 3-0 pitch and Cleveland beat Detroit for its fifth straight victory and 10th in 11 games.
Among the wounded
Designated hitter John Kruk was placed on the 15-day disabled list by Chicago with a bruised right heel.
The move is retroactive to last Saturday.
Kruk was batting .263 with no homers and six RBIs in 10 games after being signed as a free agent May 12.
Baltimore placed pitcher Sid Fernandez (0-3) on the 15-day disabled list.
Fernandez, with an 8.10 ERA this season, hurt his left collarbone in a start Sunday against Oakland.
Clearing the bases
California hasn’t committed an error in 52 innings… . Oakland’s Rickey Henderson drew his 1,500th career walk… . Danny Tartabull of New York hit his first homer since May 9… . Cleveland is 40-12 (.769) against right-handed starters since Jacobs Field opened… . Pitcher John Wetteland and New York agreed to a one-year contract worth $3.375 million, a raise of $625,000. This season, Wetteland is 1-1 with six saves and a 3.57 ERA in 14 games… . Milwaukee is $600,000 behind in payments to Milwaukee County for rent and sheriff’s department services at County Stadium.