Clemens Shines, Yanks Win In Extra Innings

Roger Clemens took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before allowing a single to Carl Crawford. Clemens wouldn’t pick up win number 301 Wednesday however, because Victor Zambrano was almost as good. The Yankees and Devil Rays played until the twelfth inning when Alfonso Soriano drove home the game’s only run to give the Yankees the 1-0 victory.

Clemens was overpowering from the start, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning before walking Travis Lee. With the no-hitter still intact, the Rocket continued to cruise. Coming off two more career milestones – win number 300 and strikeout number 4,000 – in his last start, Clemens was looking for the one feat that had eluded him for his whole career.

But Carl Crawford went down to get the Rocket’s “Mr. Splitee” and lined it over the leaping Derek Jeter and into left field for a base hit. Crawford’s was the only hit that Clemens allowed in his eight innings of work. He allowed two walks while striking out nine but didn’t figure in the decision.

Zambrano, Tampa Bay’s starter, matched zeroes with Clemens the entire way. He took a no-hitter of his own into the fifth inning before Juan Rivera’s double broke it up. Zambrano also lasted eight innings, allowing two hits, walking five and striking out six.

With both teams still without a run after regulation, the game headed into extra innings. Mariano Rivera pitched two innings of one-hit ball before giving way to Chris Hammond, who also went two innings and allowed just one hit.

Lance Carter (4-2) relieved Zambrano to start the ninth and worked the tenth and eleventh as well. In the twelfth inning, Carter ran into trouble. He walked Robin Ventura to lead off the inning, then gave up a hit-and-run single to Ruben Sierra that moved pinch-runner Enrique Wilson to third. Raul Mondesi was intentionally walked to load the bases for Todd Zeile. Zeile struck out chasing a pitch out of the strike zone to bring up Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano, who had been in a 4/21 (.190) slump coming into Wednesday’s game, dunked a soft line drive into centerfield over the drawn in infield to plate Wilson and end the game.

Hammond (2-0) picked up the victory for his two run effort. He allowed one hit and struck out a batter.

Carter was charged with the loss, working 3 1/3 innings and allowing three hits, a pair of walks and one run while striking out one.

The win for the Yankees ensured at least a split in the series with Tampa Bay, with the final game coming on Thursday at 1:05 pm. Andy Pettitte (6-6, 5.09) will take the hill for the Yankees, looking to make it three straight wins. Rob Bell (0-1, 16.20) will make his second start of the season for the Devil Rays.

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