It’s the Old Clemens in a New Uniform

Red Sox. Blue Jays. Doesn’t matter.

Indoors. Outside. So what?

It’s still the American League, and it’s still Roger Clemens, serving up a reminder Wednesday night that Toronto had been in the free-agent market too.

Chicago had signed Albert Belle for big money, in part to protect Frank Thomas in the lineup, but only Thomas’ agility protected his head from Clemens’ fastball in the first inning of Toronto’s 6-1 win over Chicago.

And there was no protecting Belle from hitting a bases-loaded, double-play grounder to end the eighth inning.

Clemens has 193 American League wins, one for the Blue Jays after he pitched a six-hitter and struck out nine White Sox.

“Well, I’m glad to get that out of the way, finally,” said Clemens, who took $24.75 million over three years to leave Boston. “It was definitely eight weeks of thinking about this one.

A crowd of 31,310, about 6,000 more than Toronto drew in its second home game last season, clapped every time Clemens got two strikes on a batter.

“He didn’t give in at all,” said Thomas, who grounded into a key double play in the sixth inning with Chicago trailing by two runs.

Belle then struck out.

“Just seeing those guys up there together, they get your attention really quick,” Clemens said. “When you face Frank and Albert like that, not to take anything anyway from anyone else, I don’t think too many people are going to the concession stand.”

Benito Santiago put Toronto ahead 3-1 in the fourth with his first AL hit, a two-run homer off Wilson Alvarez. Orlando Merced, another Blue Jay newcomer, had a three-run double in the seventh.

New York 16, Seattle 2--Tino Martinez, a former Mariner, homered in his first three at-bats for the Yankees, who added a seven-run ninth inning for an easy victory at Seattle.

All three of Martinez’s homers came against Scott Sanders, making his American League debut.

Martinez hit a three-run homer in the first inning, a two-run shot in the third and a solo homer in the fifth. He had four chances to become the 13th player in history to hit four homers in a game.

He grounded into bases-loaded fielder’s choice in the sixth inning and singled to center in the eighth before coming up twice in the ninth, both times with the bases loaded.

He walked the first time up for his seventh RBI and took a called third strike to end the inning.

Andy Pettitte helped New York break a five-game losing streak in the Kingdome and gave the Yankees only their third win in their last 18 games in Seattle since 1995.

Baltimore 4, Kansas City 2--Jimmy Key gave up four hits in six innings in his Oriole debut and Cal Ripken celebrated his new $15.1-million contract with a home run and two doubles in a win at Baltimore.

Brady Anderson, the designated hitter because he can’t play center field with a cracked rib, also had three hits for the Orioles.

Key was working in place of injured Mike Messina and improved to 7-0 in eight opening-day starts with Toronto, the New York Yankees and now the Orioles. He struck out four and improved his record against the Royals to 13-6, including 3-0 on opening day.

Minnesota 7, Detroit 6--Marty Cordova’s one-out single scored Pat Meares in the ninth inning for the Twins, who won a wild one in Minneapolis.

Cordova lined an 1-and-0 pitch from losing pitcher Todd Jones just inside the first-base line to bring in Meares and give the Twins their first 2-0 start since 1987.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Result Cal Ripken Baltimore 3 for 4, HR, 2 doubles Win Tino Martinez New York 3 homers, 6 RBIs Brady Anderson Baltimore 3 for 4 playing with cracked rib Win

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Result Jimmy Key Baltimore 6 innings, 4 hits, 7-0 on opening day Win Roger Clemens Toronto 9 innings, 6 strikeouts for new team Win Mark Langston Angels 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 runs, 6 strikeouts

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BESTS OF THE DAY: BATTING

BESTS OF THE DAY: PITCHING