Clemens posts win for Yanks
TORONTO (AP) — Roger Clemens set a Yankees record with his 15th straight victory, leading New York over the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Wednesday night.
Clemens (19-1) also became just the second player in major league history to win 19 of his first 20 decisions. Rube Marquard of the New York Giants did it in 1912.
Clemens, the AL's first 19-game winner, passed Jack Chesbro and Whitey Ford for the longest winning streak in Yankee history. Chesbro won 14 straight in 1904, and Ford won 14 in 1961.
Clemens, seeking his sixth career 20-win season, will make his next start either Monday night against Boston or Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox.
The 39-year-old right-hander, who hasn't lost since May 20 at Seattle — a span of 19 starts — took a five-hit shutout into the eighth before Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run homer.
Clemens, who doesn't have a complete game this season, allowed two runs on six hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out five and walked four.
The Yankees, who entered with a 9?-game lead over Boston in the AL East, are 26-3 in Clemens' 29 starts.
Mariano Rivera got five outs for his 44th save in 50 opportunities. He allowed an RBI single by pinch-hitter Luis Lopez with two outs in the ninth.
David Justice homered and drove in three runs for the Yankees, who went 5-1 on their road trip.
Clemens' 15-game winning streak is the longest in the majors this season. He is 6-0 against Toronto since being traded by the Blue Jays to New York in 1999.
Clemens is 29-3 since coming off the disabled list in July 2000.
Kelvim Escobar (6-6) hit Randy Velarde with a pitch in the first, and Bernie Williams singled. Justice then hit an RBI single with two outs, giving New York a 1-0 lead.
Williams doubled in the sixth, and Justice hit Escobar's first pitch for his 18th homer.
Tino Martinez added an RBI double off Pedro Borbon in the eighth.
Clemens walked Jose Cruz Jr. in the eighth before Gonzalez hit his 14th homer, cutting New York's lead to 4-2.
Escobar, who had won his previous four decisions, allowed four runs on six hits in 7 1-3 innings. He left his last start with numbness in his fingers, but didn't seemed to be bothered by the problem against the Yankees.
Notes: Enrique Wilson, playing shortstop in place of the injured Derek Jeter, robbed Shannon Stewart of a hit with a backhanded stab of a hard groundball in the first. ... Jeter won't play until at least Monday because of a strained left hamstring. ... Clemens leads the AL with 191 strikeouts. ... Toronto's Raul Mondesi missed the game because of the flu.