Turning 45 next month, Roger Clemens is older than five of the players who suited up for yesterday’s Old Timers Day.
But for the first time since returning to pinstripes, the Rocket put together back-to-back great starts – giving reason to believe the Yankees’ grand old man may still be more grand than old.
Clemens was out of the game by the time the Angels pulled out a 2-1, 13-inning win. But on a day the Bombers put one run on the board along with a season-high five errors, he was the lone bright spot, scattering five hits and one run while striking out three over eight innings – and walking off to a standing ovation from 54,497.
“He seems to have his determination back, knowing he has all his ammo,” said manager Joe Torre. “He’s pitching like he’s proud of his stuff. Before, he was pitching without all his stuff, and trying to figure a way around that.”
Clemens has good cause to be proud of his stuff. After starting 1-3 with a 5.32 ERA, he’s pitched eight-inning, one-run gems – the first time he’s gone eight in back-to-back games since 2001.
“I know what lies ahead and I’m going to do what I need to do to my body to get ready, and hopefully [he deliver] more of these types of starts down the road,” Clemens said. “Do the work and prepare, and that’ll be the reason behind it.”
He was efficient in matching All-Star John Lackey. He was spry in sliding to the dirt after covering first on a groundout in the fourth inning, and snaring a Howie Kendrick grounder to start an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
And he was determined in the sixth, repeatedly throwing over to first to tire Reggie Willits, and pumping his fist when the Anaheim speedster got caught stealing to end the frame. After pitching coach Ron Guidry and a trainer came to check on him early in the eighth, Clemens retired Jeff Mathis to cap his outing.
“Just because he doesn’t strike out a lot of people doesn’t mean he doesn’t have good stuff. As he’s gone along, he’s begun to adjust,” Torre said. “He doesn’t throw 98 mph anymore, but he’s adjusted to different types of pitching.”
Like pitching to contact and letting his splitter do its job, the reason he needed just 98 pitches yesterday.
“We’re working the zone and staying to our gameplan,” Clemens said. “We go with our strengths and adjust if we need to. I’ll power-pitch when I need to and clean it up to get outs when I have to.”