Clemens’ 2-Hitter, 17th Win Lead 8-1 Boston Massacre

You say your team is in a bit of a slump, that if you blow this one, the New England populace may pour clam chowder down your drawers? You say your second-best pitcher throws better tantrums than curves, your left fielder and first baseman are hurting and your regular center fielder is on the disabled list?

Come then, to the friendly confines of Anaheim Stadium, where the Angels are making a disturbing post-All-Star practice of treating visitors nicer than Disneyland does.

Those happy hosts were busy again Friday night, showering the struggling Boston Red Sox with all sorts of hospitality. The treats included an 8-1 Angel loss, as well as an easy evening for Red Sox starter Roger Clemens.

Clemens struck out seven, allowed only two hits and allowed only five Angel base-runners. About the only Angel highlight of the night was Reggie Jackson’s fifth-inning double, the team’s first hit, which two batters later turned into a run on Brian Downing’s sacrifice fly. Other than that, well, Jerry Narron had a double in the seventh and right fielder Ruppert Jones tossed an errant beach ball back over the fence with a certain style.

Jackson’s run was hardly worth the trouble. By then, the Red Sox had their eight runs, and better yet, they had Clemens, who improved his record to 17-2 with the complete-game victory. If nothing else, the Red Sox seem to be able to count on Clemens for comfort. With Friday night’s victory in front of 50,688 fans, Clemens followed a Red Sox loss with a victory for the 10th time this season.

“You can’t say enough about him,” Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman said.

Nor can you say much to him. Clemens finally made it to his locker about 40 minutes after his last pitch.

“Their guy’s good,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said. “I hope we get another crack at him before it’s over.”

Mauch was talking about the playoffs, which is where the two division leaders would meet if the regular season ended today. But more than two months remain, and if this series becomes a preview of things to come, there may not be another chance at Clemens for the Angels.

“The series can’t be a panacea for both of us,” Mauch said. “We gotta win a couple of games to make it good.”

As if Clemens weren’t enough, the Red Sox could count on the Angels for assistance. At least that has been the case since the All-Star break.

Visitors to Anaheim Stadium in recent weeks have won six of eight games. The Toronto Blue Jays, struggling, too, walked away with three wins in four tries. The Milwaukee Brewers, who occupy last place in the American League East, won two of three. And now the Red Sox, losers of their previous four games and seven of their last eight, win the series opener against the Angels. Sure it helps to have Clemens, but what about Toronto and Milwaukee? No Clemens there.

The Angels entered the game with high hopes. They had John Candelaria as their pitcher, which is usually a good thing. Since returning from the disabled list, Candelaria had won each of his three starts and allowed only two earned runs in 15 innings. He had struck out 14 and generally made Manager Gene Mauch much happier about the Angels’ chances of winning the American League West.

Well, optimism took a beating Friday night. The Angel loss doesn’t go well with a Texas Ranger victory over the Cleveland Indians. The second-place Rangers now lurk just two games behind the Angels.

Candelaria, now 3-1 with a 4.50 earned-run average, lasted only 4 innings but threw 86 pitches, which probably was well beyond the “comfort” level that Angel management uses when describing their expectations with the left-hander. He had runners on base in each of the innings he pitched, allowing three runs in the third and being held accountable for two of the five runs the Red Sox scored in the fifth.

“Candelaria couldn’t find his breaking ball tonight,” Mauch said, adding that “he wasn’t all that bad.”

Bases on balls hurt Candelaria in the third inning. He walked Rey Quinones to begin the inning and then allowed a double to Kevin Romine that moved Quinones to third. Marty Barrett walked to load the bases.

Wade Boggs, who began the game hitting a career .384 against the Angels, lofted a sacrifice fly to left, and Bill Buckner doubled to drive in two more runs.

The Red Sox went quietly in the fourth, but not in the fifth when Barrett singled to start things and Boggs walked. Buckner flied out. Still, that was enough of that as Candelaria was replaced by Vern Ruhle.

Ruhle, keeping with recent Angel niceties, gave up an RBI-single to Jim Rice. Don Baylor reached on a fielder’s choice, and Dwight Evans walked to load the bases.

Up came Gedman, who hit a 3-and-2 Ruhle pitch for a grand-slam homer to right and the 8-0 Boston lead. It was Gedman’s seventh home run of the season and the second grand slam of his career. And in what is becoming something of a tradition, the grand slam, the team’s third of the season, came with Clemens as the Red Sox starter.

In all, the Red Sox have scored 127 runs during Clemens’ 20 starts, which averages out to 6.4 runs. That helps. As do the Angels.

Angel Notes

Angels Doug DeCinces and Bob Boone took exception to a Times’ TV-Radio column Friday that involved the team’s new system of reimbursing players for appearing on flagship radio station KMPC. In the story, a source said that DeCinces and Boone, in particular, had taken a hard-line stand on the reimbursement issue during recent team meetings. Said DeCinces: “I feel I’ve gone out of my way to make sure the decision lay with the players who it would affect most, and those are the players of the future. I’ve spent a lot my career putting forth integrity into my profession, so to have someone criticize me for something I didn’t do, I feel is unjust.” Boone said he was willing to do the radio interviews without compensation from KMPC, and DeCinces said he had suggested that the money used for gift certificates be given to charity. . . . Reliever Terry Forster continues to throw every other day, doing what he can to stay active as his sprained right ankle heals. Still no timetable on his return. “It’s sort of a day-by-day thing,” General Manager Mike Port said. “Each day that goes by he gets a little better.” . . . Outfielder Brian Downing said he is awaiting test results that are supposed to determine what is causing a persistent cough. . . . Today’s game, previously scheduled as a night game, begins at 12:15. Mike Witt (9-7) faces Bruce Hurst (5-4).

ROGER CLEMENS’ VICTORIES AFTER RED SOX LOSSES

Date Opponent Score Streak April 17 Kansas City 6-2 2 Losses April 22 Detroit 6-4 1 Loss May 14 at Angels 8-5 2 Losses May 25 at Texas 7-1 1 Loss June 6 at Milwaukee 3-0 1 Loss June 16 at New York 10-1 2 Losses June 21 Baltimore 7-2 1 Loss July 12 Angels 3-2 1 Loss July 19 at Seattle 9-4 3 Losses July 25 at Angels 8-1 4 Losses