Wrong turns

Johnson is shaky, but Clement is worse for Red Sox as Yankees take finale

May 25, 2006|Chris Snow, Globe Staff

A pitching duel this was not, despite the fact that the two men who started last night are making a combined $25.5 million this season ($9.825 million of that going to Matt Clement). Of course, those aren't the only big numbers associated with Clement and Randy Johnson these days. Both entered with obese ERAs -- Clement at 5.36, Johnson at 5.62 -- and both struggled, lasting a combined 9 1/3 innings and allowing a combined 13 runs on 18 hits. But Johnson struggled less and with that came a W, in an eventful but not particularly well-played 8-6 Red Sox loss before 36,375, many of whom blessed Clement's departure in a loud and unmistakable manner.

``I gave up eight runs, they paid to see us win, I should get booed," said Clement, who in 23 starts since pitching in last year's All-Star Game, his postseason appearance included, is 7-8 with a 6.01 ERA.

The Yankees took two of three but the Sox, who lost their first home series since the home-opening set vs. Toronto April 11-13, remain ahead in the season series, 4-3, with 12 meetings to come.

The last time the Sox had played New York, in the Bronx earlier this month, they juggled the rotation, skipping Clement, fearful of what played out last night. He faced 27 batters and got just 13 outs, allowing 14 base runners (nine hits, four walks, one hit batsman). He actually recorded five consecutive outs to begin the game, meaning that 14 of the final 22 batters he faced reached. By night's end, he'd allowed eight earned runs, swelling his season ERA to 6.31 with a 4-4 record.

Bear in mind, this was a Yankee lineup with Melky Cabrera hitting leadoff, Terrence Long hitting eighth, and Kelly Stinnett batting ninth, three players who entered the game with combined 2006 totals of 19 hits in 83 at-bats (.229) with no home runs and seven RBIs.

Clement was staked to a 2-0 lead after one inning on Manny Ramírez's 10th homer, a staggering shot to left in the general direction of MIT's Great Dome. Ramírez, who a night earlier stood and watched his prodigious homer as if he were waiting for the No. 57 bus to pick him up in Kenmore Square, quickly recoiled his bat, tossed it gently to the ground, and, relatively speaking, tore around the base paths. He was, for a moment, all class, a night after acting like a kid at recess.