Toronto ? Roger Clemens just wasn’t the same pitching on short rest.

Clemens struggled on three days’ rest as a fill-in for Orlando Hernandez, allowing six runs in five innings as the New York Yankees lost 11-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Hernandez missed his start with a sore neck. Clemens (1-2), originally scheduled to start today in Boston, offered to pitch.

“He just tried to overthrow it sometimes,” New York manager Joe Torre said. “I think he was trying to do more things, trying to mix in more breaking pitches and offspeed pitches.”

Clemens allowed five earned runs, eight hits and three walks, while striking out seven. He had won seven straight against the Blue Jays, the team he won two Cy Young Awards for in 1997-98. He hadn’t lost against them since Aug. 4, 1994, when he pitched for Boston.

“When somebody can’t go, you have to pick another guy up. This is what makes this team great,” Clemens said. “I told him, ‘No problem, man. If you can’t go, don’t force it, I’m the freshest guy we got.’ If it wasn’t for the third inning I would have gone into the seventh, that’s what my goal was.”

Hernandez said he hopes to pitch today after getting heat and massage treatment.

Vernon Wells hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays, who won the final two games to split the four-game series. Wells, who had four RBIs, homered off Randy Choate in the eighth, giving Toronto an 11-3 lead.

Rangers 7, Athletics 0

Arlington, Texas  Doug Davis pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout and rookie Kevin Mench hit his first homer and had four RBIs for Texas. Davis (2-0) struck out six and walked one. He allowed just one runner past first base in his third complete game.

Mench was a more than adequate replacement in right field for Juan Gonzalez, the two-time AL MVP placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of a torn muscle in his right hand. Mench hit a two-run homer in the second off Mark Mulder (2-1) to put the Rangers ahead to stay.

Mulder left after four innings because of tightness in his left forearm.

Indians 8, Twins 4

Cleveland  Omar Vizquel hit a three-run homer and Cleveland won its eighth straight game, completing a four-game sweep.

Former Twin Matt Lawton made two sensational catches in right field for the Indians, who are 9-1 and off to their best start since opening 10-0 in 1966.

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire and reliever Jack Cressend were not around for the final out. Both were ejected in the fifth after Cressend hit Ricky Gutierrez with a pitch.

Both benches had been warned in the top of the fifth when the Twins’ A.J. Pierzynski was hit in the back by Bartolo Colon’s fastball.

Colon (3-0) allowed four runs and seven hits in 51/3 innings. Cleveland starters are 9-0 with a 3.36 ERA.

Orioles 15, Devil Rays 6

Baltimore  Geronimo Gil and Mike Bordick homered in a 12-run sixth as Baltimore ended a six-game losing streak. Held to only six runs during its skid, Baltimore ended the drought in record fashion. The Orioles set team marks for runs (12) and hits (11) in a single inning.

Mariners 8, Angels 4

Anaheim, Calif. Â Mike Cameron hit a two-run homer and Jeff Cirillo hit a three-run double as Seattle completed its first four-game sweep ever at Anaheim.

Freddy Garcia (1-2) won his sixth straight decision over the Angels in seven starts.