AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : In a Bid for Perfection, Clemens Beats Tigers, 4-0

The Boston Red Sox had their best pitcher, Roger Clemens, ready for their showdown with the Tigers Tuesday night at Detroit.

It was a series to determine which team, if either, will challenge the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League East title.

Ready was an understatement for Clemens. He was almost a perfect pitcher.

Clemens (15-8) retired the first 19 Tigers on his way to a two-hitter and a 4-0 victory that enabled the Red Sox to move to within four games of Toronto. The Tigers trail the Red Sox by two games.

Alan Trammell spoiled the no-hit game with a clean single to left after Clemens lost his perfect game when he walked Lou Whitaker with one out in the seventh.

Clemens, throwing a fastball consistently timed at 94 m.p.h., pitched his 10th complete game. It was the fourth consecutive game in which the big right-hander went nine innings.

The Red Sox gave Clemens a cushion in the first inning when Ellis Burks doubled in three runs.

“I’ve had my troubles with Tram and in Tiger Stadium,” Clemens, who has never pitched a no-hitter, said.

“I was in no position to worry about losing a no-hitter. There were two men on and Cecil Fielder was up. I had to worry about holding onto the lead.”

Fielder may be terrorizing other pitchers in the league, but he can’t handle Clemens’ heat. He struck out in that situation which made him one for 16 with 10 strikeouts against him.

Chicago 3, Oakland 1--Pinch-hitter Warren Newson hit a two-out, two-run double in the eighth against Dennis Eckersley at Oakland, giving the reliever his eighth blown save in 47 opportunities.

Tim Raines led off the eighth with a single and, after two outs, Rick Honeycutt (2-4) walked Dan Pasqua. Eckersley, who was trying to become the first player to get 40 saves in three different seasons, gave up the double to Newson and a run-scoring single to Lance Johnson.

Melido Perez (7-4), the third White Sox pitcher, pitched two innings. Bobby Thigpen got the last out for his 29th save.

Seattle 5, Toronto 4--In the first of 23 games with the West to end the season, the Blue Jays weren’t nearly as impressive as they were in their sweep of the Indians.

The Blue Jays, taking on a team that lost its previous 13 road games, jumped out to a four-run lead at Toronto.

But the Mariners pulled even on two-run home runs by Harold Reynolds and Edgar Martinez.

In the eighth, Reynolds’ double scored Omar Vizquel from third with two out to break the tie.

The Mariners also were helped by a triple play in the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, Joe Carter, who hit his 32nd home run in the first, hit a hard smash to third.

Martinez started an around-the-horn double play and when Devon White, who was on second, tried to go all the way home. First baseman Tito Martinez threw home and White was tagged out to complete the triple play.

Minnesota 7, Kansas City 2--Pedro Munoz was called up too late to be eligible to play in the playoffs, but the Twins may live to regret it.

Munoz, who hit a three-run home run Sunday, hit a two-run homer at Kansas City to lead the Twins to their fifth victory in a row.

Rick Aguilera worked out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the ninth to get his 39th save.

Cleveland 5, Milwaukee 2--For two years, Doug Jones was as good a short reliever as there was in the majors. He posted 75 saves in two seasons for a losing team.

This season he was so bad coming out of the bullpen that the Indians sent him to the minors. He recently returned.

In his first start after 272 relief appearances since 1982, Jones gave up only two runs in 8 2/3 innings to get the victory. It ended his seven-game losing streak that started in May.