AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Red Sox Win One <i> Despite</i> Clemens

The Boston Red Sox were having no real trouble without Roger Clemens, leading the American League East by six games, getting plenty of pitching but still saying over and over again, “Wait until he gets back.”

He’s back.

In his long-delayed 1995 debut, the result of trying to do too much too soon with his pitching arm in the strike-delayed spring training, Clemens, the Red Sox’s three-time Cy Young Award winner, gave up five runs in five innings, hit three batters and knocked down two more Friday night at Boston.

Still, the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners, 6-5, in 10 innings when Mike Greenwell singled home Mo Vaughn.

By then, Clemens was long gone after an 84-pitch performance, including 33 in the fifth, when the Mariners batted around and Jay Buhner hit a two-run, 402-foot home run for a 5-2 Mariner lead.

“He popped the ball pretty good at times,” Red Sox Manager Kevin Kennedy said of Clemens. “I’m not worried about Roger. He’s fine.

“I saw that he reached back for some extra on some fastballs, and they were a foot and a half faster when he needed them to be.”

They were 94 m.p.h. And they hurt.

“I think I hit a guy in the back,” Clemens said. “That’s crazy.”

Chad Kreuter, who was plunked twice, said: “You’re telling me.”

Expectations were great.

“Clemens is Clemens,” said Boston shortstop John Valentin, who hit three homers and went five for five. “He goes out there and you expect him to strike out everybody. Obviously, he’s coming off an injury and you can’t--but you do.”

Chicago 5, Detroit 4--Mike Lavalliere’s single scored Ray Durham to tie the game, and Ozzie Guillen doubled home Lavalliere to win it in the 15th inning at Chicago in Terry Bevington’s first game as manager of the White Sox.

Detroit had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 15th when Kirk Gibson scored on a fielder’s choice ground-out by Danny Bautista with the bases loaded.

Toronto 5, Cleveland 0--Al Leiter pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and gave up only three hits in his third consecutive start without allowing a run.

Joe Carter hit two homers in helping to snap the Indians’ winning streak at five games.

Kansas City 3, Milwaukee 2--Jon Nunnally and Brent Mayne hit homers for the Royals at Kansas City, their seventh victory in the last eight games.

Baltimore 2, Oakland 1--Kevin Brown gave up five hits in eight innings, and Rafael Palmeiro drove in two runs at Baltimore as the Orioles handed the Athletics their fifth loss in a row.

Texas 6, Minnesota 5--Rusty Greer’s two-run pinch-homer with two outs in the ninth inning won for the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.