AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Clemens Bounces Back With Eight Innings, Victory for Boston

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens gave up five hits, walked three and struck out six in eight innings, his longest outing of the year, as the Boston Red Sox defeated Kansas City, 4-1, at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

Clemens (3-2) began the game with a 5.30 earned-run average in nine starts and was 0-1 in his previous four games, yielding 21 runs and 29 hits in 24 innings.

“You saw the beginning of Roger Clemens’ strong second half of the season,” Boston Manager Kevin Kennedy said.

Clemens said that having former teammate Al Nipper as pitching coach since John Cumberland was given a leave of absence helped.

“He was on me every inning,” Clemens said. “He caught me a couple of times saying a few things to guys and he said, ‘You need to stay focused.’ ”

Chicago 9-11, New York 4-4--The Yankees were beaten by two former pitchers as Jim Abbott and Dave Righetti led the White Sox to a doubleheader sweep at New York.

Abbott gave up 13 hits in a complete-game victory, and Righetti pitched 6 2/3 innings in his longest outing in almost 12 years to win the second game. The White Sox had 37 hits in the sweep.

Tim Raines, Frank Thomas and Dave Martinez homered off Jack McDowell (7-6) in the second game. The 1993 Cy Young Award winner with the White Sox gave up 13 hits and nine runs before being removed in the fifth. He incited boos from the crowd of 21,188 when he made an obscene gesture with his right hand as he walked toward the dugout. He was fined $5,000 by the team after the game.

The doubleheader was caused when Monday’s game was rained out with the score tied, 1-1, in the seventh. The Yankees had two runners on base with no outs when it was called, leaving the teams with a tie in which all the statistics count. Because it was a tie, the clubs needed to play nine full innings as a makeup.

Toronto 7, Minnesota 0--David Cone threw his 21st career shutout, a four-hitter that gave the Blue Jays their eighth victory in 11 games. Cone (9-5) gave up four singles and won his third consecutive start. He struck out seven and walked three.

Seattle 10, Detroit 6--Tino Martinez drove in three runs with his 20th homer and Edgar Martinez also had three runs batted in as the Mariners rallied for their second victory in a row at Seattle.

Baltimore 4, Texas 2--Mike Mussina yielded four hits over 7 2/3 innings and the Orioles reached the .500 mark for the first time this season with a victory over the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

Mussina (10-5) struck out five and walked two as the Orioles won their eighth in 10 games. Rafael Palmeiro, whose 13th-inning homer lifted the Orioles over his former team Monday night, had a solo homer in the sixth, his 19th, and drove in two runs.

Milwaukee 4, Oakland 0--Rookie left-hander Sid Roberson gave up one hit over seven innings and Mike Matheny had a career-high three RBI at Milwaukee, as the Brewers stretched their win streak to six.

Oakland first baseman Mark McGwire did not play after injuring a toe Monday night.