CHICAGO - One of baseball's most celebrated pitchers earned his first victory at one of the game's most storied parks.
Roger Clemens won at Wrigley Field and kept his perfect season intact Wednesday, pitching the Houston Astros to a 5-1 win over the Cubs.
"When you have an opportunity to pitch in this type of setting, regardless of how you feel, you want to make the appearance because people come from all over to watch you perform," Clemens said.
"I enjoy hearing the fans around the stadium, the things they say."
Clemens (8-0) came back from three straight no-decisions with seven sharp innings to earn his 318th career victory, tying Phil Niekro for 14th all-time.
Clemens' only other start at Wrigley came in June 2003 when he pitched for the Yankees in search of his 300th win. He took the loss when the Cubs rallied against New York's bullpen.
His appearance a year later wasn't as emotionally charged, but he enjoyed it just the same.
"It's a totally different situation and atmosphere. I had a respiratory problem, too, there. I felt a lot better about my health out there today," said Clemens, who wore short sleeves and blew on his hands during a 60-degree afternoon.
Clemens has won 12 straight regular-season decisions since Aug. 9.
Not bad for a 41-year-old, who came out of a short retirement in the offseason.
"I'm not too worried about streaks. I think they're great because we're winning," Clemens said. "I don't put a lot of stock into them. I know that they could change at any time. So you want to try and ride them."
REDS 3, MARLINS 1: Dontrelle Willis made the pitch he wanted. Sean Casey still wasn't fooled.
Casey stroked a two-out single in the seventh inning to break up Willis' bid for a perfect game, then hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth that lifted visiting Cincinnati.
Casey's homer off left-hander Matt Perisho, brought in to face the major leagues' leading hitter, helped cap a three-game sweep of Florida, which hadn't been swept at home since San Francisco took three in May 2003.
Perisho had retired Casey in all five of his previous tries. The sixth landed in the rightfield seats.
"Unbelievable, huh? There's not much else you can say about him," said Reds manager Dave Miley, whose team improved its league-best record to 32-21. "The guy busts up the perfect game ... then gets the big hit."
CARDINALS 5, PIRATES 3: Albert Pujols hit his major league-leading 17th home run and Tony Womack had four hits for visiting St. Louis.
Pujols' two-run shot in the first gave him a home run in four of his past five games and helped the Cardinals win for the sixth time in seven games, including three straight.
St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter allowed three runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings, striking out a season-high nine and sending Pittsburgh to its fourth consecutive loss.
PADRES 2, ROCKIES 1 (10): Jay Payton hit a run-scoring single past the glove of diving second baseman Aaron Miles with two outs in the 10th as San Diego avoided being swept in consecutive home series.
The Padres were swept at Petco Park by the Cubs May 14-16, then went 7-5 on their longest road trip of the season. They returned home and lost consecutive games to Colorado by 7-1 scores.
Charles Johnson's double with one out in the eighth tied it at 1 for the Rockies.
METS 5, PHILLIES 3 (10): A night after hitting a tying homer in the eighth and a go-ahead single in the 10th, Todd Zeile hit a tying three-run homer in the eighth and a two-run drive in the 10th as visiting New York completed a three-game sweep.
DODGERS 5, BREWERS 2: Paul Lo Duca homered and drove in three and Edwin Jackson pitched five strong innings in his season debut after getting called up from the minors earlier in the day.
D'BACKS 8, GIANTS 6: Randy Johnson won his fourth start in a row and Shea Hillenbrand homered and drove in three for host Arizona. Robby Hammock also drove in three with two doubles.
EXPOS 8, BRAVES 4: Backup catcher Einar Diaz drove in his first three runs of the season and visiting Montreal avoided a three-game sweep with its third win in 13 games.
