Roger Clemens won the first round. The White Sox hope to get even Tuesday night at Comiskey Park.
Clemens, signed to a three-year, $24.75-million contract in the off-season, works the first game for the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series that completes the first homestand of the season.
The Sox slipped to 2-3 by losing two of three against Detroit. They need to win the Toronto series to avoid taking a losing record with them on a five-game trip to Detroit and Texas.
“You have to be on your game against Roger Clemens,” Sox manager Terry Bevington said. “You have to catch a few breaks. That’s how you beat him. Hopefully he’s off his game a little bit.”
Left-hander Wilson Alvarez starts for the Sox in a rematch of Toronto’s 6-1 victory last Wednesday at SkyDome. While Alvarez struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings, it was the three-time American League strikeout champ who stole the show.
Clemens, 34, held the Sox to six hits in a complete-game victory. He struck out nine and walked one. When Chicago built rallies in the sixth and eighth innings, he shut down Frank Thomas and Albert Belle.
“I wasn’t enjoying it a whole lot,” Clemens said. “I hope the people who saw me face Frank and Albert liked that. . . . I felt like I was on the edge of my seat.”
Thomas took an 0-for-4 against Clemens, failing to hit the ball out of the infield. He grounded to third baseman Ed Sprague to start a double play after Tony Phillips and Dave Martinez reached base to start the sixth inning.
Belle was 2 for 4 with a double that sailed to the wall in left-center. But Clemens got him to take a split-fingered fastball over the inside corner for a called third strike in the sixth inning, stranding a runner at third base. Belle hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the eighth.
“You have to give him some credit,” Belle said. “But I just looked at a strikeout. We had him on the ropes, with men in scoring position, and we couldn’t get ’em across.”
Belle is happy to get a second crack at Clemens.
“I want to face the best,” he said. “I want every pitcher out there to bring his `A’ game to the ballpark. Guys know if they don’t bring their `A’ game we’re going to make them pay for it.”
Thomas believes Clemens will miss SkyDome’s artificially controlled temperatures.
“It’s going to be cold here,” Thomas said. “Hopefully that will slow him down.”
Running wild: There was concern in spring training that opposing teams would steal bases every time rookie reliever Carlos Castillo was in the game. But it appears other Sox pitchers also need to quicken their time to home plate.
Opposing teams have had no trouble stealing bases against any Sox pitcher, going 8 for 9 in stolen-base attempts. Catchers Ron Karkovice and Tony Pena are not getting a good shot to throw out the runners.
The only caught stealing of the season came when Tony Castillo caught Detroit’s Damion Easley breaking for second. But Thomas’ throw sailed into left field, allowing Easley to go to third.
Short hop: Pena has caught 1,916 games. He needs three more to pass former Sox manager Al Lopez for fifth on the all-time list.
