Shaky Clemens Shakes Brewers

Roger Clemens only drinks coffee on the days he pitches, but on Tuesday night he found himself with stomach cramps while working in Milwaukee.

The culprit?

“I’m pretty sure it was because of the coffee,” said Clemens after he had taken an antacid, eaten some bread and struck out 10 Brewers in a 4-2 Boston victory.

Clemens (2-4) gave up four hits and walked three in 7 2/3 innings, and he also got some help from an umpire’s bad call in winning his second start in a row. The 10 strikeouts raised his season total to a major league-leading 61, one more than Atlanta’s John Smoltz.

It was the third start in a row in which he has struck out 10 or more, the first time he has accomplished that since 1987.

Clemens’ indigestion was at its worst in the fourth inning, when he gave up a two-run single to Jose Valentin that cut Boston’s lead to 4-2. But he stranded two runners by striking out Matt Mieske and Pat Listach.

Clemens’ belly might have been more unsettled that inning were it not for a call by second-base umpire Larry Barnett. He ruled that right fielder Milt Cuyler caught Fernando Vina’s leadoff fly ball, even though replays showed the ball clearly bounced into his glove as he dived.

Even the Red Sox acknowledged the gift.

“I thought I caught the ball, but the guys said it hit the ground,” Cuyler said. “Whatever. I dove and I felt the ball hit my glove. Once I hit the ground, I looked in my glove to see if the ball was there. The ball was there and the umpire had called him out.”

New York 12, Detroit 5--Ruben Sierra drove in three runs in an eight-run sixth inning in New York that carried the Yankees to their eighth victory in nine games.

Detroit has lost 17 of 19 games and five in a row.

Texas 5, Toronto 1--Damon Buford drove in the tying run with a sixth-inning single and Will Clark hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning at Arlington, Tex., for the Rangers, who won their fourth in a row.

Chicago 3, Baltimore 2--Alex Fernandez and Roberto Hernandez combined on a five-hitter for the White Sox, and Danny Tartabull hit a two-run homer in a victory at Chicago.

Minnesota 2, Seattle 0--Jose Parra (1-0) pitched six shutout innings and Dennis Hocking and Jeff Reboulet knocked in the only runs of the game with sacrifice flies in Seattle for the Twins.

Minnesota broke a four-game losing streak. Seattle was shut out for the second time in three games.

Oakland 8, Cleveland 4--Mark McGwire hit a three-run homer to left-center field and Jason Giambi had four singles for the Athletics, who won their second in a row against Cleveland.

It was the fourth homer of the season for McGwire, who had singled in the go-ahead run Monday night in the A’s victory.