Yankees’ Clemens Resumes Winning Ways

Even a mechanically flawed Roger Clemens was good enough Saturday night to beat the Florida Marlins.

The five-time Cy Young Award winner overcame a bad start to go six innings and Bernie Williams drove home three runs in the New York Yankees’ 5-4 victory at Miami.

“It was a long battle, but I’ve had thousands of those games,” Clemens said. “I told Mel [Stottlemyre, pitching coach], ‘I’ll find a way. I’m not tired. Let me get you deep and I’ll find a way.’ ”

Williams hit a two-run homer in the first inning and drove home Chuck Knoblauch with the go-ahead run in the fifth when he grounded into a force.

Paul O’Neill and Scott Brosius added solo homers in the fourth.

The game drew 42,110, topping Friday’s attendance of 40,161 as the Marlins’ largest crowd of the season.

Clemens (6-1) gave up three runs in the first inning, but settled down afterward to win for the 21st time in his last 22 decisions. His 20-game winning streak, tied for third longest in major league history, was halted by the New York Mets in a 7-2 loss last Sunday.

The right-hander gave up four runs and seven hits, striking out five and walking five.

Clemens, who was sidelined for a month because of a hamstring injury, has struggled with his mechanics since returning May 22.

Cleveland 4, Cincinnati 3--Charles Nagy won his fifth consecutive start and the Indian bullpen narrowly escaped a couple of late Red threats at Cincinnati.

Roberto Alomar hit his first homer in nearly a month to put the Indians ahead to stay in the fifth inning.

Nagy (8-3) overcame homers by Greg Vaughn and Eddie Taubensee, watched the bullpen frustrate the Reds.

Reliever Ricardo Rincon provided the game’s most electrifying moment when he loaded the bases with a couple of two-out walks in the seventh to bring up Sean Casey, hitting .382.

As fans chanted his last name in unison, Casey--the first baseman who came from Cleveland in a trade last year--hit a fly out to David Justice on the warning track in left field.

San Francisco 15, Seattle 11--Marvin Benard and Jeff Kent each hit home runs and the Giants had a season-high 22 hits at Seattle.

Kent tied a career high with five hits and had four runs batted in, and Benard tied a career best with four hits and had three RBIs. Kent was thrown out at third base in the eighth inning, trying to stretch his second double into a triple to hit for the cycle.

It was the fifth time this year that Seattle scored 10 or more runs and lost.

Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 6--Benj Sampson pitched 4 1/3 effective innings in relief of injured starter LaTroy Hawkins and the Twins scored six runs in the fourth inning at Milwaukee.

Sampson (2-0) relieved Hawkins with two outs in the first when the Twins’ starter was hit in the left kneecap by Jeromy Burnitz’ line drive.

Burnitz homered twice and went four for five with three RBIs.

Sampson gave up seven hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter.

St. Louis 8, Detroit 7--Edgar Renteria’s two-out bases-loaded single in the 14th inning gave the Cardinals the victory at St. Louis.

The Cardinals loaded the bases against Willie Blair (1-7). Willie McGee led off with a single. After Mark McGwire flied out, Ray Lankford hit a broken-bat single to right, moving McGee to second. Fernando Tatis singled to load the bases for Darren Bragg, who was called out on a 3-2 pitch. Renteria then singled to right on an 0-1 pitch to drive in McGee.

Tampa Bay 5, Montreal 3--Jose Canseco hit his 23rd homer to help Mickey Callaway win his major league debut at Montreal as the Devil Rays ended a seven-game interleague losing streak.

Canseco went four for five with two doubles, a single and a homer against Dustin Hermanson (3-6) leading off the seventh. He is tied with Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners for the major league home run lead.

Callaway (1-0), called up from triple-A Durham on Wednesday, gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.

New York Mets 4, Boston 2--Benny Agbayani hit his ninth homer in 71 at-bats and Al Leiter (4-5) made his second consecutive strong start for the Mets at New York.

Robin Ventura and John Olerud also homered for the Mets, who have won five of six after an eight-game losing streak.

Colorado 8, Texas 7--Todd Helton’s three-run double keyed a four-run third inning at Arlington, Texas, as the Rockies ended the Rangers’ eight-game home winning streak.

Helton drove in four runs and Vinny Castilla had two RBIs to back Pedro Astacio (6-5), who gave up four runs and eight hits over six innings.