OAKLAND – They had heard about Roger Clemens’ game-day intensity. Yet, until Monday night, the only view the Yankees had was from the other dugout.
Now, after watching Clemens in his Yankee debut that resulted in a 5-3, rain-shortened loss to the low-budget A’s at the Oakland Coliseum, the Yankees understand the buzz. Clemens wasn’t perfect, especially on a fastball to Tony Phillips in the fifth inning, but his approach opened more than a few eyes.
Clemens berated himself for missing by an inch on one pitch and a half-inch on another. Then it was words of encouragement to catcher Joe Girardi for blocking a ball in the dirt. And Clemens never gave into the A’s hitters.
In the dugout, Clemens acted like it was Game 7 of the World Series, not the first of 162 regular-season games.
“He brings a lot of emotion and he has great stuff,” Girardi said. “But he has a will to win and you have to respect that. If you know Roger Clemens, he wants to win every day.”
That was evident to interim manager Don Zimmer early in a game that was halted for 47 minutes at the end of two innings and again for 1 hour, 21 min066 . 0000.00utes in the ninth before it was finally called after eight innings.
“I have never seen anybody as high to win a game as Clemens was in the dugout in the first inning,” said Zimmer, who has been in professional dugouts for 51 seasons.
After surviving a pair of two-out walks in the first inning, Clemens was cruising with a 2-0 lead in the fifth when plate umpire Jim Evans missed a 3-2 pitch to Miguel Tejada, the No. 9 hitter.
At 1-1 to Phillips, Clemens opted to use a slide step to keep Tejada a hair closer to first. That resulted in a fastball staying out over the plate and thigh-high for Phillips, who swatted it over the right-field wall to tie the game.
“I was a little quick,” said Clemens, who went 61/3 innings, allowing three runs and four hits. He fanned eight, walked five and failed to extend his 15-game winning streak.
Clemens, who was lifted for Mike Stanton in the seventh after issuing a one-out walk to Phillips. Stanton arrived trying to protect a 3-2 lead and watched Jason McDonald single to center. Instead of keeping the potential go-head run at second, Bernie Williams attempted to throw Phillips out at third. 066 . 0000.00Seeing the throw go to the wrong base, McDonald hustled into second. Jason Giambi’s ground ball up the middle was flagged by Derek Jeter but he only had a play at first as Phillips tied the score, 3-3.
Stanton fell behind Matt Stairs, 2-1, before the cleanup hitter stroked a single to right that scored McDonald and gave the A’s a 4-3 bulge.
Ahead 1-2 in the count to John Jaha, Nelson came inside with a slider that Jaha muscled down the left-field line for an RBI double that gave the A’s a two-run cushion. 066 . 0030.07 -00002