American League Roundup : Clemens Is Angry After Win

Roger Clemens was a surprisingly unhappy pitcher Wednesday night in Boston after picking up his seventh win and narrowly missing a shutout.

Clemens had shut out the Baltimore Orioles on three hits through 8 innings, but he and the Boston Red Sox had to settle for a six-hit, 6-2 victory.

“I don’t have any comments to make about this game,” Clemens said as he turned his back on clubhouse visitors.

He refused routine postgame radio and television interviews. And no one in the clubhouse got a chance to ask him why he was so angry.

The question was left hanging: Was he upset over losing a shutout on Terry Kennedy’s two-out single in the ninth, or was he angry at the possibility of being bypassed for the All-Star Game, costing him $300,000 in incentive money in his contract?

Clemens (7-6) breezed through eight innings, throwing only 84 pitches, but ran into control trouble in the ninth, allowing three singles and a walk. He lost his no-hit bid in the fifth inning on Kennedy’s first two-out single of the night.

For only the third time in his major league career, Clemens failed to strike out a single batter.

The first time was in a two-inning relief appearance against Oakland in July 1984. The second time was last Oct. 1 against Baltimore, when he had to retire for treatment after being hit by a line drive in the second inning.

The Red Sox ripped Baltimore starter Mike Griffin (0-2) and two relievers for 12 hits, handing Baltimore its 27th loss in 32 games since May 29.

Kansas City 4, Minnesota 3--Pinch-hitter Jim Eisenreich doubled off the center-field wall to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Royals the victory at Kansas City.

It was Eisenreich’s second hit in 13 at-bats since being called up from Memphis of the Southern League June 17.

Dan Quisenberry (3-0) picked up the win with 1 innings of scoreless relief.

George Brett hit a three-run homer, his sixth, in the third inning to give the Royals a 3-0 lead. The Twins scored in the fifth on Kirby Puckett’s two-run single and tied the game in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Randy Bush.

New York 6, Toronto 1--Wayne Tolleson’s RBI single triggered a five-run rally in the 12th inning as the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays at Toronto.

The victory gave the Yankees a three-game lead over the Blue Jays in the East.

“We returned the favor to Toronto,” said New York Manager Lou Piniella, referring to the Blue Jays’ three-game sweep of the Yankees in New York June 8-10.

The Yankees broke a scoreless tie in the eighth on a bases-loaded single by Dave Winfield.

Milwaukee 13, Detroit 2--Greg Brock, B.J. Surhoff and Mike Felder drove in three runs each, and the Brewers scored eight times in the third inning to crush the Tigers at Milwaukee.

Brock had four hits, including a two-run single that sparked the third-inning rally.

Milwaukee’s Bill Wegman (7-7) pitched an eight-hitter and struck out seven.

Darrell Evans broke up Wegman’s shutout in the ninth with his 15th home run, the 362nd homer of his career, topping Joe DiMaggio for 32nd place on the all-time list.

Chicago 5, Oakland 3--Greg Walker’s two-run homer in the 10th inning gave the White Sox a victory over the A’s at Chicago.

Jim Winn (3-4) rescued Bob James in a bases-loaded situation in the top of the 10th for the win.

The White Sox had tied the game in the ninth inning when pinch-hitter Daryl Boston tripled and scored on a wild pitch by Jay Howell (2-2).

Reggie Jackson hit a bases-empty home run, his 11th homer of the year and the 559th of his career, in the seventh.

Texas 7, Seattle 3--Pete O’Brien and Oddibe McDowell hit home runs to lead the Rangers to victory at Arlington, Tex.

Charlie Hough (9-3) got the win.

Seattle was leading, 2-1, in the fourth when O’Brien hit a two-run homer, his 18th home run of the season. McDowell’s ninth homer of the season came in the sixth, giving Texas a 6-2 lead.