With 20 Wins, Clemens Still Climbing

After winning 20 games for the first time since 1990, Roger Clemens had a message for Dan Duquette, the general manager who let him leave Boston.

“The Red Sox didn’t think I was over the hill. It was one individual, and he has never been on the field,” Clemens said after he became the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this season by pitching the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-3 victory over the Royals at Kansas City.

Clemens (20-4), also a 20-game winner in 1986, 1987 and 1990, gave up three runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one.

“I knew I wasn’t as sharp as I was in my last start,” Clemens said. “So I knew I had to go to work.”

Clemens is looking forward to the possibility of winning the Cy Young Award for the first time since 1991.

“I’m very excited about what could happen this year,” he said. “I would like to get the fourth Cy Young to give it to my son, Kody. It’s something he can hang on the wall when I’m in the ground.”

Jose Rosado (8-10) gave up five runs and 10 hits in seven-plus innings. He is 1-6 in nine starts since getting the victory in the All-Star game.

Seattle 9, New York 5--Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer at Seattle and the Mariners defeated the Yankees for the sixth time in nine games this season.

John Marzano had three hits and two runs batted in, and Jeff Fassero (13-7) defeated the Yankees for the third time this year--although he gave up home runs to Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter. Paul Sorrento also homered for Seattle.

Kenny Rogers (5-5) hit Jay Buhner and Ken Griffey Jr. with pitches in the fourth before leaving. Fassero hit Tino Martinez with a pitch in the sixth.

Fassero gave up five runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked none.

Baltimore 3, Minnesota 1--Scott Erickson defeated his former team for the fourth time this season, giving up five hits in 8 1/3 innings as the Orioles won at Baltimore.

Coming into this season, Erickson (15-5) was 0-2 against the team he pitched for from 1990-95. This year, the right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.33 earned-run average against the Twins, and his 15 victories are his most since he won 20 games in 1991.

Erickson, who improved to 8-2 at Camden Yards, walked two and struck out eight in his third complete game of the season. He has not lost since July 12 and is 4-0 with four no-decisions over that span.

“We scored some runs--that’s the bottom line,” Erickson said. “I don’t try harder just because I played there.”

Randy Myers got the final two outs for his 39th save and Geronimo Berroa drove in two runs for the Orioles, who have won three in a row and seven of eight.

Texas 17, Chicago 8--Rusty Greer homered twice and drove in six runs as the Rangers overcame a two-homer game by Albert Belle to crush the White Sox at Arlington, Texas.

“We were overdue for a game like that,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said. “We’ve been struggling at the plate and we needed something like this.”

Greer and Belle both hit grand slams on a night the teams combined for 29 hits, including a season-high 20 by the Rangers.

Greer hit a two-run homer in a five-run second and followed an inning later with his third career slam as Texas took a 11-2 lead.

Belle, who has 26 homers, hit a two-run drive in the first and a slam in the sixth. It was Belle’s third grand slam this season..

Texas, which had lost four of five, stopped Chicago’s three-game winning streak.

Ivan Rodriguez had four hits and drove in three runs for the Rangers, who scored their most runs since beating Baltimore, 26-7, on April 19, 1996. Benji Gil, Fernando Tatis and Tom Goodwin each had three hits.

Darren Oliver (10-10) won for the seventh time in eight decisions despite giving up seven runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Detroit 16, Milwaukee 1--Bobby Higginson had a career-high five hits and the Tigers scored 11 runs in the seventh inning as they routed the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Detroit finished with 22 hits, including 11 in the seventh inning, and Milwaukee tied a franchise record for runs allowed in an inning.

Travis Fryman and Tony Clark had four RBIs and Brian Moehler (8-9), who came off the disabled list before the game and made his first start since Aug. 6, gave up four hits and struck out five in five innings.

Relief pitcher Eddie Gaillard worked the final three innings and picked up a save.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Alex Rodriguez

Team: Seattle

Performance: 3 for 5, 3 RBIs, home run

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Rusty Greer

Team: Texas

Performance: 2 for 4, 6 RBIs, 2 home runs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: B. Higginson

Team: Detroit

Performance: 5 for 6, 2 runs, 4 singles, double

Team’s Result: Win

*

PITCHING

Player: Roger Clemens

Team: Toronto

Performance: 7 1/3 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 20th win

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Scott Erickson

Team: Baltimore

Performance: 8 1/3 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Eddie Gaillard

Team: Detroit

Performance: 3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, first save

Team’s Result: Win