The second inning opened with Kenny Lofton popping out. But for Roger Clemens, the turn didn’t go real well for his hamstring.
Clemens took the mound for the Yankees in Game 3 last night, and it hardly turned into a memorable outing. He didn’t pitch well and he didn’t feel well, straining his left hamstring and lasting only 21/3 innings.
“I just [aggravated] it the at-bat against Lofton in the second,” Clemens said after the Yankees’ 8-4 victory. “Then there was a ball to my left I don’t know how many pitches later where it locked up.”
The Yankees will have Game 4 tonight, but Clemens didn’t exactly do his part to get them there. In a critical start, the Rocket sputtered, giving up three runs on four hits, two walks and a homer. As for his hamstring, it’s the same one that gave him trouble toward the end of the season, causing him to not pitch after Sept. 16. His availability now for the rest of the postseason is questionable.
“I don’t know what’s going to go on, guys,” Clemens said. “I’m just going to do everything I can to get my leg well.”
The Yankees can take Clemens off their ALDS roster, but that would mean he can’t pitch in the ALCS (though he would be allowed to pitch in the World Series). After the game last night, Joe Torre said Clemens’ status was “being talked about now.”
Torre did say, “I guess we have to ask permission and stuff,” which could be a pretty good sign that Clemens’ ALDS and ALCS tenures are over. If the Yankees wanted to sub, their options would include Ian Kennedy, Chris Britton and Ron Villone, with Villone seemingly the most likely.
Clemens put the Yanks in a 1-0 hole in the first, allowing Ryan Garko’s RBI single. The next inning, Trot Nixon blasted him. Nixon, who came in hitting .371 (13-for-35) with three homers in his career against Clemens, swatted a one-out solo shot for a 2-0 lead.
Then came the third inning, which the 45-year-old didn’t finish. Clemens started Travis Hafner with an 0-2 count, but at that point there was a meeting at the mound. Clemens stayed, but after he lost Hafner to a walk and struck out Victor Martinez, that was it. Clemens exited, and there were some boos.
“I felt great the whole time. My arm felt great,” Clemens said, saying the hamstring “came out of nowhere.” It was enough to make his stint short-lived.