Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 22, 1993 TAG: 9305230158
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
After Clemens' second consecutive shaky start led to a 7-3 loss Saturday to the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox were searching for answers.
"Honestly, today was probably the worst I've ever seen him struggle. He was definitely out of sync today," Red Sox pitching coach Rich Gale said. "He's obviously not the Roger that you expect."
Clemens (5-4) was not around after the game to explain his seventh loss in his last eight decisions at Fenway Park. He went home after the eighth inning with his wife, Debbie, who was not feeling well.
"I'm going to keep working hard to break out of this mini-slump that I'm in," Clemens said in a statement released by Red Sox officials.
Clemens pitched a five-hit shutout May 11 at Baltimore, striking out 13 Orioles. He threw 143 pitches in that game.
Since then he has struggled, giving up five runs in the sixth inning on Monday in a loss to Toronto and allowing seven runs on seven hits and six walks in five-plus innings Saturday against the Yankees.
Gale said he saw nothing to indicate Clemens' arm is tired from the Baltimore game.
Though Clemens was still throwing the ball at up to 93 mph Saturday, Gale said a pulled muscle in Clemens' pitching elbow earlier this season could be a factor.
"His elbow's not 100 percent, it's still bothering him some," Gale said. "Maybe it's causing him more discomfort than he's letting us know."
And as for the problems at Fenway, where Clemens has won just once since last August, Gale said Clemens has complained about the mound. Other Red Sox pitchers also have criticized the slope of the mound.
The Yankees took advantage of Clemens' wildness, and Danny Tartabull had the big blow with a three-run homer in the first inning.
Tartabull hit his seventh homer, a line shot to deep center, after Dion James singled and Wade Boggs walked with one out in the first. Clemens had gone 58 starts without allowing a homer in the opening inning, dating back to July 12, 1991.
Clemens forced home a run with three consecutive walks in the third. The Yankees finished him off in the sixth when Mike Gallego walked, James singled and Randy Velarde doubled. Joe Hesketh relieved and gave up an RBI grounder to Boggs.
"We just caught Clemens on an off day," said New York manager Buck Showalter, after winning his 100th game with the Yankees.
In other games Saturday:
\ Athletics 6, White Sox 4: At Chicago, Ruben Sierra drove in two runs and Dave Henderson homered for the second straight game, leading Oakland past Chicago.
Bobby Witt (4-2) gave up two runs on eight hits in 6 innings. He left after Ozzie Guillen hit a two-run homer, his first since Sept. 5, 1991. It was Guillen's 11th career home run in 3,944 at-bats.
\ Tigers 5, Indians 1: At Cleveland, Tony Phillips and Scott Livingstone drove in two runs each as usually high-powered Detroit used singles and doubles to clip Cleveland.
Detroit has won four of five and nine of its past 12 games.
Mike Moore (3-1) won for the first time in a month, allowing five hits, including Paul Sorrento's eighth home run, in 6 innings.
\ Blue Jays 7, Twins 0: At Toronto, Todd Stottlemyre, injured in the third inning, and four relievers combined on a six-hitter with 15 strikeouts as Toronto handed Minnesota its sixth straight loss.
Devon White went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI for the Blue Jays, who won their third straight game.
\ Rangers 4, Angels 2: At Arlington, Texas, Roger Pavlik, called up from the minors Friday, blanked California for 6 innings, leading Texas to victory.
Rafael Palmeiro hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Scott Sanderson (6-2).
Pavlik won in his first major-league appearance of the season. Texas had gone 11 consecutive games without a victory from a starting pitcher.
\ Royals 4, Mariners 1: At Kansas City, Kevin Appier pitched a five-hitter as the Royals beat Seattle to reach .500 for the first time since the last game of 1991. The Royals (20-20) have won 18 of 29 games since starting the season 2-9.
\ Expos 6, Phillies 5: At Philadelphia, Moises Alou's two-run single capped a three-run rally in the ninth inning, lifting Montreal to its second straight win over the frustrated Phillies.
Mitch Williams relieved to start the ninth with a 5-3 lead, and wound up with his third blown save in 17 chances. At the end of the inning, Williams exchanged words with Delino DeShields and the benches cleared, but no punches were thrown. Phillies manager Jim Fregosi came out of the dugout after order was restored and began arguing with the umpires. He was ejected.
\ Mets 6, Braves 1: At New York, Dwight Gooden pitched eight strong innings, hit a homer and drove in three runs as New York downed Atlanta to give Dallas Green his first victory as manager of the Mets.
Gooden (5-4) also had two singles as the Mets won for only the seventh time in their past 26 games.
Vince Coleman and Jeff Kent also homered off loser John Smoltz (4-4).
Green, who took over for the fired Jeff Torborg, lost 4-2 to Atlanta in his debut on Friday night.
Dave Justice homered for the Braves' only run in the fourth.
\ Reds 6, Giants 2: At San Francisco, Cincinnati's offense resurfaced to end a five-game losing streak.
Jose Rijo (6-1) limited the Giants to two runs in eight innings, snapping San Francisco's seven-game winning streak.
The Reds, who had scored just four runs and 19 hits in the past four games, had 11 hits, including three homers, against five pitchers.
\ Pirates 4, Cardinals 2: At Pittsburgh, Bob Walk gave the Pirates' rotation a much-needed strong start, and Jay Bell drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning in the win over St. Louis.
Walk (5-3) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. He has won 12 of his past 16 decisions against St. Louis and 11 of his past 14 decisions at Three River Stadium.
St. Louis' Ozzie Smith broke Larry Bowa's National League record by playing in his 2,223rd game at shortstop. The major-league record of 2,581 is held by Luis Aparicio.
\ Cubs 2, Marlins 1: At Miami, Sammy Sosa singled and scored on Mark Grace's double in the seventh inning, lifting Chicago past Florida.
The Cubs lost two players to minor injuries. Willie Wilson's right knee was bruised by a foul ball in the third inning, and Jose Vizcaino left in the seventh after being hit on the upper arm by a pitch from Luis Aquino.
Friday's games
\ Padres 3, Astros 2: At San Diego, Derek Bell tied the score with a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth, and Guillermo Velasquez drove in the winning run in the 10th as San Diego dealt Houston its fourth straight loss.
\ Giants 3, Reds 0: At San Francisco, Bill Swift (6-1) won his sixth straight start and San Francisco won its seventh consecutive game, scoring one run on a passed ball and another on a wild pitch in a victory over Cincinnati.
Notes
\ DEION CREATES FLAP: Deion Sanders was back in the lineup Saturday, and that apparently started a minor flap in the Atlanta Braves' clubhouse.
Otis Nixon, Atlanta's starting center fielder for most of the season, was not happy to find out that he was on the bench and that Sanders was leading off and playing center against the New York Mets.
"What the hell is this? The guy has been away a month, and he's taking my job from me?" Nixon said before the game.
Sanders left the team on April 29, one day after his father's funeral, and was placed on the disqualified list. The Braves reinstated him Tuesday and he joined the team Friday, when he agreed to a three-year, $11 million contract.
by CNB