Roger Clemens, in his home park, gives up two homers in the first, and the NL never recovers in the AL's 9-4 victory.
By PETE YOUNG
Published July 14, 2004
[AP photo]
NL starter Roger Clemens hides his face after former Yankee teammate Jason Giambi reaches on an error during the AL's six-run first.
HOUSTON - The Roger Clemens Showcase received a rude jolt Tuesday, courtesy of the American League's powerhouse lineup.
After one inning, two home runs (by Manny Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano) and six AL runs, the Houston legend's historic All-Star Game start was spoiled. Clemens' storybook season suddenly had acquired an asterisk and the AL was on its way to a 9-4 win before 41,886 at Minute Maid Park.
"I put our guys in the hole," Clemens said.
The AL outburst was a first-inning record and the most in any inning since 1983, and it sullied the Clemens lovefest surrounding the event. The AL has won seven of eight.
"Roger just got behind on some guys," said Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who tripled off Clemens in the first. "He left some pitches over the plate and we took advantage.
"We were very aggressive today. The American League, we've got some great players."
Oakland's Mark Mulder allowed one run in two innings to get the win, Derek Jeter had three hits and Soriano (2-for-3, three RBIs) won MVP as the AL earned World Series homefield advantage.
Jeter improved to 7-for-10 in All-Star play, the most hits among players with 10 or more at-bats.
"I don't know," Jeter said. "I'm up there swinging early in the counts, especially when you're facing guys like Rocket (Clemens) and Randy Johnson."
Clemens, 41, retired from the Yankees after last season but was lured back by his hometown Astros. He pitched superbly in the first half of the season (10-3, 2.62 ERA) to earn Tuesday's starting assignment.
Eighteen years ago, as a 23-year-old emerging superstar with the Red Sox, Clemens started and was named MVP of the previous All-Star Game in Houston, at the Astrodome. He returned home Tuesday as the oldest All-Star starting pitcher in history, the first pitcher to start for three teams (Red Sox, Yankees in 2001 and Astros) and third to start for both leagues.
His demise happened swiftly. Ichiro led off with a double into the rightfield corner, then Rodriguez tripled to the same area, missing a home run by inches.
After the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero bounced out to Clemens, Ramirez's 383-foot lined shot to left on an 0-and-2 slider cleared the wall to make it 3-0. Jeter's single gave the AL the cycle in the first inning, an All-Star Game first, and things got worse.
With Jason Giambi on ahead of Jeter via an error by second baseman Jeff Kent, Soriano, a teammate of Clemens' the past few seasons in New York and now with Texas, stroked a three-run homer to left to make it 6-0 and muzzle the rabid pro-Clemens crowd.
The result cuts the NL's all-time advantage to 40-33-2, though the AL is 13-3-1 in the past 17.
The NL responded with a run in the first off Mulder, with the Cubs' Sammy Sosa singling in St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols, who doubled to center. Mulder snuffed the rally by striking out Mets catcher Mike Piazza.
It remained 6-1 until the fourth, when Alex Rodriguez tripled to right-center off the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano to score David Ortiz, who had pinch-hit for Boston teammate Ramirez. The Rays' Carl Crawford pinch hit for Giambi, but he left Rodriguez stranded when he swung through a high fastball on 1-and-2.
The NL trimmed it to 7-4 in the bottom half on back-to-back doubles by St. Louis' Edgar Renteria and Pujols, his second of the game. Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia limited the damage by getting Barry Bonds to pop up.
Before the fifth inning, Clemens was presented with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award, the eighth to receive the honor since it was instituted in 1998. Clemens has 320 career wins and 4,220 strikeouts, second all-time.
The AL stretched it to 9-4 in the sixth. Guerrero singled to left-center off the Marlins' Carl Pavano, and Ortiz crushed a low fastball 423 feet into the rightfield seats.
The Blue Jays' Ted Lilly worked out of a jam in the bottom half. With two on and no outs, he got Carlos Beltran and Jack Wilson on fly balls and struck out major-league home run leader Jim Thome.
Yankees closer Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth (Todd Helton, Wilson and Thome) to finish it.
Clemens surpassed Warren Spahn, who was 40 in 1961, as the oldest starter. It was Clemens' ninth All-Star appearance, breaking the record for a pitcher he held with four others.
