AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Clemens Reserves Fortune, Leads Red Sox

Roger Clemens quieted critics with one of his best performances since early last season, giving up three hits in eight innings as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox, 5-3, on Friday night at Boston.

Clemens, who had a 10.13 earned-run average after two starts this year, has endured repeated choruses of “What’s wrong with Roger?” since struggling through his worst season in 1993.

But against the White Sox, he gave up only one run, striking out six and walking one. He retired 14 in a row between Dan Pasqua’s second-inning double and Frank Thomas’ homer in the seventh.

“When a guy pitches like that, you can’t do anything but tip your hat,” Thomas said. “The last couple of times we faced him (last year), he didn’t throw as hard as he did tonight. He was hitting his spots with hard gas.”

Clemens (1-0), a winner in only six of his previous 23 starts, was in trouble only in the seventh when Thomas led off with his fourth home run of the season down the right-field line. With two out, Pasqua hit a shot to right-center field that Otis Nixon caught about three feet above the fence.

Julio Franco hit a two-run homer, his fourth, in the Chicago ninth against Greg Harris. Jeff Russell got one out for his fourth save.

Tim Naehring hit his second home run of the season and Nixon had a run-scoring single in the second for the Red Sox, who are unbeaten in four games at Fenway Park.

Seattle 9, Milwaukee 1--Randy Johnson pitched a four-hitter and struck out 11 at Seattle for his first victory of the season.

Johnson (1-1), who won 19 games last season and led the majors in strikeouts, walked one in his first complete game of the season.

Johnson hit Matt Mieske with a fastball in the batting helmet in the eighth and immediately rushed to the plate to see if Mieske was all right. Mieske stayed in the game.

Jay Buhner and Rich Amaral hit home runs for the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr. hit a bases-loaded triple during a six-run fourth inning.

Texas 8, Baltimore 3--Rick Helling earned his first major league victory and became the first Texas starter to win this season, pitching the Rangers past the Orioles at Arlington, Tex.

Jose Canseco homered and drove in three runs and Dean Palmer hit a two-run double for Texas.

Helling (1-0) gave up three runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

New York 7, Detroit 5--Danny Tartabull and Paul O’Neill hit two-run homers and Jim Leyritz had a solo shot for the Yankees at Detroit.

Melido Perez (1-0) held Detroit to three runs and seven hits in six innings and Steve Howe followed with two scoreless innings.

Trailing, 7-3, the Tigers loaded the bases with no out in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Junior Felix struck out on a 3-2 pitch that bounced, but Tony Phillips hit a two-run single against Xavier Hernandez.

Sterling Hitchcock retired Lou Whitaker on a popup and Jeff Reardon got pinch-hitter Eric Davis on a fly ball for his first save.

Minnesota 8, Oakland 7--Kent Hrbek hit his first home run of the season and the Twins again knocked around Todd Van Poppel at Oakland.

Hrbek had three hits and scored three times. He led off the ninth with a home run for an 8-4 lead.

Stan Javier’s run-scoring single with two out in the ninth finished Carl Willis. Ruben Sierra greeted Rick Aguilera with his fifth homer, a two-run shot. Aguilera, however, struck out Geronimo Berroa with the tying run at second for his fifth save.

Kansas City 2, Cleveland 1--David Cone gave up five hits in eight innings and Greg Gagne doubled home the go-ahead run in the eighth at Cleveland with his first hit of the season.