Sep 16, 2007, 14:40 GMT
- A terrific pitching matchup is on tap this evening at Fenway Park when Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees play the rubber match of their three-game set against Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox.
Clemens, of course, spent the first 13 years of his legendary career in Boston before leaving as a free agent following the 1996 campaign after Red Sox management decided his best years were behind him. All he has done since, though, is rack up 162 more wins and four Cy Young Awards.
However, Clemens has not pitched at Fenway since beating Pedro Martinez in Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS. He is 9-5 lifetime against his former organization with a 3.73 ERA in 20 starts.
The 45-year-old hurler, though, has been a huge disappointment for the Yankees thus far, going just 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA in his 17 games.
Clemens will be taking the hill tonight for the first time since a sore elbow forced him to leave after four innings in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on September 3. Tests taken after the game revealed some ligament damage, but the big Texan is ready to go tonight after a pair of cortisone shots.
Schilling, meanwhile, suffered a tough-luck loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays his last time out. Schilling gave up just a run and five hits in six innings of his team's 1-0 loss on Monday, as he slipped to 8-7, while lowering his ERA to 3.93.
The 40-year-old hurler, who hasn't faced Clemens since Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, is 7-7 in his career against the Yankees with a 4.71 ERA in 23 games, 18 of which have been starts.
Boston moved one step closer to clinching its first AL East crown since 1997 on Saturday, as Josh Beckett threw seven strong innings to become the majors' first 19-game winner and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in three runs in a 10-1 rout. David Ortiz was 3-for-3 with two RBI for Boston, which has won three of four and increased its lead over the Yankees to 5 1/2 games, while reducing its magic number to nine.
Beckett (19-6) allowed one run and three hits, fanning seven and walking just two to post his third straight win and fourth in his last five starts.
Mike Lowell also drove in a pair, Eric Hinske homered among his two hits and also scored two runs, Coco Crisp finished with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while J.D. Drew added an RBI single.
Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang (18-7) was charged with nine hits and five runs with three strikeouts and three walks over 5 2/3 innings in the loss -- breaking a personal five-start win streak.
Derek Jeter finished 2-for-4 with a home run for the Yankees, who have dropped two of three, and, coupled with Detroit's win over Minnesota later Saturday, saw its AL wild card lead shrink to 2 1/2 games over the Tigers.
To make matters worse for the Yankees, catcher Jorge Posada was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital following the game for a precautionary head examination. Posada appeared to be shaken up when Hinske collided with him at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. On the play, Yanks second baseman Robinson Cano fielded Dustin Pedroia's grounder and threw to the plate.
Posada was able to block the plate and tag Hinske, but was knocked to the ground as Hinske barreled over him. After shaking off the cobwebs for several minutes, Posada remained in the game.
New York lost five of its first six meetings with Boston this season, but has won five of six and eight of the last 10 since. The Yanks, though, are just 3-5 at Fenway this season after winning seven of nine there a year ago.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Your Talkback on this Story