New York – Roger Clemens recorded his 350th victory with a gem, pitching eight innings of two-hit ball to lead the New York Yankees past the Minnesota Twins 5-1 on Monday night.
Clemens became the first major-leaguer to win 350 games since Hall of Famer Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves accomplished the feat by beating the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Sept. 29, 1963 – just more than a year after Clemens was born. Yankees manager Joe Torre was Spahn’s catcher in that game.
“I’m not as old as I thought I was,” Clemens said with a wry smile.
Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead homer and finished with three hits for the Yankees, who won for the third time in 12 games. Alex Rodriguez got his 80th RBI on a first-inning grounder, then left in the sixth because of a strained left hamstring.
“We’re going to sleep on it and see how it feels in the morning. Right now it’s just a little sore, tender,” said Rodriguez, who will be re-evaluated today.
In a vintage performance, Clemens (2-3) retired his final 15 batters after Joe Mauer’s leadoff double in the fourth.
ORIOLES 7, WHITE SOX 6 at Chicago: Kevin Millar singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth off Chicago closer Bobby Jenks (2-4) as Baltimore came from four runs down in the final two innings to prevail.
RED SOX 7, RANGERS 3 at Boston: Eric Hinske had a bases-loaded triple and Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run double as Boston salvaged a split of the four-game series after scoring seven runs in the first three games.
ROYALS 3, MARINERS 2 (11) at Kansas City, Mo.: David DeJesus homered, doubled twice and scored the winning run on Emil Brown’s sacrifice fly in the 11th as Kansas City ended Seattle’s eight-game winning streak and spoiled John McLaren’s mana- gerial debut.
BLUE JAYS 11, ATHLETICS 7 at Oakland, Calif.: Vernon Wells homered twice to help Josh Towers (4-5) win consecutive decisions for the first time in nearly two years as Toronto snapped a four-game skid.
INDIANS 10, DEVIL RAYS 2 at Cleveland: Fausto Carmona (9-4) won his ninth game of the season, rookie outfielder Ben Francisco homered and drove in three runs and Cleveland completed a four-game sweep.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
