Clemens Rockets to 18-Victory Plateau

Roger Clemens became the first 18-game winner in the majors, striking out 13 as the Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins, 9-1, Tuesday night at Toronto.

Clemens (18-4) gave up eight hits and lowered his earned-run average to 1.66, also best in the majors. He walked one in his eighth complete game, which tied teammate Pat Hentgen for most in the AL.

Jacob Brumfield, who entered the game in the second inning after Otis Nixon was traded to the Dodgers, and Jose Cruz Jr. each hit two-run homers. Shawn Green also homered, helping to send the Twins to their fourth consecutive loss.

Clemens struck out the side in the ninth. He fanned at least 10 for the 10th time this season and 78th time in his career. He got Scott Stahoviak four times.

The SkyDome crowd gave Clemens a standing ovation after he fanned Stahoviak in the sixth for his 2,800th career strikeout.

“The fans were great,” Clemens said. “The emotional lift they gave me really helped give me an edge and, at the same time, put the hitters at a disadvantage.

“But the offense made it happen for me tonight with the run support. It allowed me to go right after them.”

Said Blue Jay catcher Charlie O’Brien: “It’s a lot of fun when Roger goes out there. He had just phenomenal stuff tonight. But I’m not surprised. He’s had it all season.”

Cleveland 7, Detroit 4--Manny Ramirez silenced his critics with a 416-foot homer and the Indians temporarily did the same, winning for only the ninth time in 26 games with the victory at Cleveland.

Ramirez, lambasted by fans and teammates for dropping a fly ball and loafing on another play in right field Sunday, drilled a two-run homer to center off A.J. Sager. That helped the Indians score three times in the fourth inning after a two-hour rain delay.

David Justice was three for three, including a two-run double in the first, making him 11 of 18 with three homers and eight RBIs in five games on the homestand.

Eric Plunk (4-3) worked two perfect innings for the victory, striking out the side in the seventh. Jose Mesa worked the ninth for his fifth save, only his second since April 24.

Before the game, Indian General Manager John Hart offered a vote of confidence to embattled Manager Mike Hargrove, saying that firing him was “just not an option.”

Baltimore 8, Oakland 0--Scott Erickson pitched a three-hitter and Rafael Palmeiro had three hits, including a three-run homer, at Baltimore.

Palmeiro’s 24th home run highlighted a four-run first inning that boosted the Orioles to their 12th win in 15 games. The victory also pushed the Orioles a season-high 32 games above .500, at 73-41.

The A’s, meanwhile, have lost 11 of 16 and have been shut out in six of their last 21 games. They are 2-8 against the Orioles while being outscored, 66-19, and out-homered, 15-4.

Both benches emptied in the bottom of the eighth after Oakland’s Dane Johnson threw a pitch behind Jeff Reboulet, who voiced his displeasure to catcher Brent Mayne. No punches were thrown, but Reboulet and Mayne were ejected.

Erickson (14-5) struck out eight and walked one in his second shutout of the season and 11th of his career. He’s 3-0 with an 0.94 ERA in his last five starts.

Kansas City 6, New York 4--Dean Palmer homered and drove in four runs at New York to snap the Yankees’ three-game winning streak.

Palmer, who is 10 for 21 with runners in scoring position and has 16 RBIs in 18 games since he was traded by Texas, singled home a run in the fourth, opened the sixth with his 17th home run, and hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh.

Palmer’s hitting helped set the stage for Jeff Montgomery’s eighth save and the 250th of his career. Only 11 others have reached the plateau.

“I wasn’t even thinking about it,” Montgomery said.

His streak of retiring 32 straight batters was ended by Bernie Williams with a two-out single in the ninth, stopping him one short of the Royals’ club record set by Steve Busby in 1974.

Texas 12, Boston 2--The Rangers showed off for former President George Bush by scoring 10 runs in the first four innings to rout the Red Sox for the second consecutive game in Boston.

A day after collecting 15 hits in an 8-3 victory the Rangers added 17 more to win their third in a row. Bobby Witt (11-8) pitched his third complete game and the Rangers’ second straight as they improved to 5-0 at Fenway Park.

Bush--whose son, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, owns the Rangers--sat next to the team’s dugout with acting Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci and a group of Secret Service agents. Some players waved or chatted with the former president on their way to the on-deck circle; first baseman Will Clark pointed to Bush before striking out in the fourth.

Fernando Tatis had four hits, four RBIs and scored three runs. Tom Goodwin added three hits and three RBIs and Lee Stevens had three hits, three runs and two RBIs as the Rangers pounced on Aaron Sele (11-9) early.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Rafael Palmeiro

Team: Baltimore

Performance: 3 hits, 3-run home run

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Dean Palmer

Team: Kansas City

Performance: 3 hits, homer, 4 RBIs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Fernando Tatis

Team: Texas

Performance: 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 RBIs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Dave Justice

Team: Cleveland

Performance: 3 for 3; 11 for 18 in 5-game homestand

Team’s Result: Win

PITCHING

Player: Roger Clemens

Team: Toronto

Performance: 9 innings, 13 strikeouts, 8 hits, 1 run

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Scott Erickson

Team: Baltimore

Performance: 9 innings, 8 strikeouts, 3 hits, 0 runs

Team’s Result: Win