American League Roundup: Clemens denied 300th

Red Sox spoil day for Yankees' ace, 8-4

? The “300” patch on Roger Clemens’ glove turned out to be a little premature.

No celebration at Yankee Stadium Monday. In fact, things started going badly for the Rocket even before his first fastball.

Clemens’ initial bid at the milestone victory became a bust when the Boston Red Sox banged him around, beating the Yankees, 8-4, and sending New York to its eighth straight home loss.

“I’m going to get there eventually — I hope,” Clemens said.

“It was just great that I had the opportunity,” he said. “It couldn’t have worked out any better, except for the loss.”

Bad omens surrounded Clemens from the beginning.

The start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 42 minutes by rain, and Clemens’ routine was further disrupted right after his final warmup. That’s when Red Sox manager Grady Little walked out to question Clemens’ glove.

Clemens was wearing a new glove with a shiny “300” logo on the back of it, and plate umpire Bill Miller agreed with Little that it was not within regulations. Clemens had to toss aside that mitt while another one was brought from the dugout.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Clemens said.

Yankees manager Joe Torre said Clemens even expected the new glove to be challenged. But Torre found it a bit strange that the patch had already been approved by major league baseball.

“He was ready to make the change,” Torre said.

New York's Roger Clemens delivers against Boston. Clemens failed in his bid for his 300th career victory when the Red Sox defeated the Yankees, 8-4, Monday in New York.

Little said he did not notice Clemens’ glove right away.

“Some of our players brought it to my attention. They were watching every move the guy was making out there,” he said. “So I mentioned it to the umpires.”

Crew chief Joe West came in from second base for the discussion.

“Boston complained about it,” West said. “Roger said it was a glove that the commissioner’s office had sent to him for the occasion. The patch was embroidered on there. Roger didn’t argue or anything, he just said he’d get another glove. He didn’t want any more tension.”

The Red Sox tagged Clemens for eight runs and 10 hits in 52¼3 innings. He slowly trudged off the mound, his head down the whole way, after Todd Walker’s two-run single.

Now, he’ll have to wait until next weekend in Detroit — or later at Cincinnati or Wrigley Field, if necessary — in road gray to try to join 20 other pitchers with 300 career victories. The exact date of his next start is uncertain because David Wells is healing from a calf injury.

Clemens (6-3) desperately wanted to win on this afternoon. Torre gave him plenty of opportunities, letting his ace throw 133 pitches — his highest total in more than two years. Still, Clemens remained winless in his last nine starts at Yankee Stadium.

“Everything was set up. It was a perfect atmosphere,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. “But we didn’t show up, that’s the bottom line.”

Clemens’ mother, Bess, came from Texas to Yankee Stadium for the first time since her son clinched the 1999 World Series. She suffers from emphysema and has had a recent bout with pneumonia, and wore a breathing tube around her face.

Blue Jays 11, White Sox 5

Toronto — Carlos Delgado hit a two-run single in a five-run sixth inning and Toronto beat Chicago for its fifth straight victory. Chris Woodward and Josh Phelps homered for the Blue Jays, who returned from an 8-2 road trip and handed struggling lefty Mark Buehrle his seventh consecutive loss.

Tigers 6, Indians 5

Detroit — Brandon Inge hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the seventh inning, and Detroit beat Cleveland for only its fourth victory at home.