Yankees win and stave off elimination

NEW YORK -- They’ll have today, at least.

In the wacky world of the New York Yankees, where crisis is the house specialty, the day began with the team on the verge of elimination and the owner threatening to fire the manager. Then the game began, and the Hall of Fame starting pitcher limped off the field.

But, thanks to a kid from Orange County and a leadoff batter that impersonated one of the big guys, Joe Torre and his Yankees will play again today.

With rookie Phil Hughes brilliantly replacing injured Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon driving in four runs and getting three hits, including a home run, the Yankees routed the Cleveland Indians, 8-4, at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

“We fight another day,” Clemens said.

The Indians lead the best-of-five American League division series two games to one. The Yankees will bring back ace Chien-Ming Wang, on short rest, to oppose the Indians’ Paul Byrd in Game 4 today.

Clemens left because of a hamstring injury. Torre said the Yankees would consider replacing him on the roster, perhaps with reliever Ron Villone. Clemens has not said whether he would retire after this season, so his Hall of Fame career might be over.

As he walked off the mound, Clemens said, he did not stop to consider whether he had thrown his last pitch.

“I don’t look at it that way,” he said.

The Indians sprinted to a 3-0 lead off Clemens. But Damon singled home one run in the third inning, and then the Yankees strung four consecutive hits off Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook to take the lead in the fifth.

With one out, Hideki Matsui singled, Robinson Cano doubled and Melky Cabrera singled home Matsui. Damon followed with a three-run homer, lifting the Yankees to a 5-3 lead, and they poured on three more runs in the sixth.

After collecting eight hits in losing the first two games of the series, the Yankees got 11 hits in Game 3 -- including two from Alex Rodriguez, ending an 0-for-18 postseason skid.

None of this might have mattered had Hughes not delivered so spectacularly. He’s 21, three years removed from Santa Ana Foothill High. He made his major league debut six months ago, and he rescued Clemens and the Yankees with 3 2/3 scoreless innings, earning the victory in the process.

“He introduced himself to the world,” Damon said.

As Hughes came into the game, Jeter strolled over to loosen him up. Hughes roots for the USC Trojans, and Jeter told him not to worry about that embarrassing loss to Stanford. Hughes grinned and took it from there, with the sellout crowd roaring him on.

“This was something I’ve never experienced before,” Hughes said, “and it was hopefully something I’ll get to experience for a lot of years.”

Clemens’ distinguished career might have ended fittingly -- not because of the injury, but because he struck out his final batter.

Clemens, 45, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner with the most strikeouts of anyone in baseball history except Nolan Ryan, struck out Victor Martinez with what may have been his last pitch.

He said his strained left hamstring -- the one that forced him to sit out the last two weeks of the regular season -- started to act up again in the second inning.

The training staff wrapped his left leg between innings, but two pitches into the third inning Torre rushed to the mound to check on him. Clemens stayed in the game, but his next four pitches were balls, and Hafner walked. Then Martinez struck out, on six pitches, and Torre rushed out again, and that was all.

“You could just feel it on every pitch,” he said.

Clemens departed this time, to some boos, to some camera flashes and, as he crossed the foul line, to a standing ovation. He did not acknowledge the crowd.

He might not play again. But the Yankees will play today, at least. Torre will be in charge today, at least.

“We all love Joe Torre, and we’d love for him to win another championship,” Damon said. “Joe is a guy that commands a lot of respect. He’s meant so much to the Yankee organization. And, you know, we get to play for him at least another day, and hopefully longer.”

--

bill.shaikin@latimes.com