Sports

RALLY RESCUES ROG: CLEMENS HURT, BUT YANK WIN SAVES HIS STREAK

ARLINGTON – This was a hole even Houdini would have had a tough time escaping.

Two innings of lackluster work had landed Rogers Clemens on the trainer’s table, where a balky left hamstring needed attention.

The Yankees were down 5-0 after one putrid inning last night, and Clemens’ AL record-tying streak of 17 straight winning decisions was in deep jeopardy of ending, one win shy of the all-time league mark.

But slowly the Yankees climbed out of the ditch Clemens put them in – as their ace caught glimpses of the action on television.

Two runs here, two more there. Hideki Irabu coming out of the pen and muzzling the muscular Rangers.

Finally, it was RBIs by Paul O’Neill and Chili Davis in the ninth that lifted the Yankees to a riveting 7-6 victory in front of 42,690 at The Ballpark.

Now Clemens was off the hook, greeting his mates after the Yankees’ sixth straight victory, which upped their record to 13-5.

The Bomber bats had rescued Clemens’ streak for the second time this season. Back on April 15, he was racked around for seven runs and 11 hits in three innings, but was taken off the hook in a game the Yanks eventually lost 9-7.

With last night’s no-decision, Clemens now gets another shot to set the AL mark for consecutive winning decisions – though because of the hamstring, when that next start will be isn’t yet known.

“I don’t worry about the streak, there are a lot more important things to accomplish,” said Clemens. “These guys fight, scratch and claw. I was out there to say, ‘Way to go.’ I could care less about getting off the hook.”

But off he was. And as usual when the Yankees win, Clemens had more than one uniform to thank.

First, there was Chuck Knoblauch’s 4-for-4 game, which included a leadoff walk in the ninth against John Wetteland that led to the game-tying run.

Next there was Irabu’s five-inning relief stint, in which he gave up just one run, on a wild pitch.

And don’t forget O’Neill breaking out of a 3-for-31 slump with three hits that included a monster homer to center.

Chad Curtis added a homer, and Davis’ bat stayed hot with two hits and the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

As for when Clemens will get a chance to set the AL mark of 18 straight victories, that isn’t known.

He needed a serious limp to exit the clubhouse last night, but he said that stemmed from a wrap he had on the leg he initially injured warming up for last Wednesday’s start against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s been there for a while,” Clemens said of the hamstring problem. “I tweaked it when I ran and I felt it when I covered first base in the second inning.”

Asked if it was a possible disabled-list situation, Clemens shook his head.

“I hope not,” said Clemens, who hasn’t been on the DL since 1995, when he had a strained right shoulder. “If I feel I can pitch with it, I will.”

In the first inning, Clemens couldn’t finish pitches because of the feeling in his landing leg.

By the time the inning was over, the Rangers had scored five runs, and had taken advantage of Clemens issuing five walks.

In five starts, Clemens has struggled in the first frame, giving up seven earned runs and eight walks. Opposing hitters are batting a healthy .300 (3-for-10) against him in the initial inning.

Curtis’ homer and Jeter’s RBI single cut the deficit to 5-2 in the fifth. After Irabu wild-pitched a run home in the fifth to give the hosts a 6-2 bulge, an error by shortstop Royce Clayton and an RBI single by Knoblauch reduced the Rangers’ lead to 6-4.

O’Neill’s fourth homer, and third against the Rangers this season, made it a one-run game and set the stage for a dramatic ninth against Wetteland.

Yet, had it not been for Irabu’s relief work, the ninth wouldn’t have been so exciting.

“Hideki came in and he won the game for us,” O’Neill said of Irabu, who hadn’t pitched since April 16, and has allowed just one run and three hits in his last eight innings.

“If he gives up a run here and there we are out of the game.”

Instead, the Yanks entered the ninth down a run and watched Knoblauch draw a four-pitch walk from Wetteland.

“The pitches were up,” said Knoblauch, who raised his average to .358. “If they were down, I would have been hacking.”

Wetteland got Jeter in an 0-2 hole before running the count full. Trying to stay away from a double play, interim manager Don Zimmer had Knoblauch on the move, and he made third easily on Jeter’s single to left-center. O’Neill singled Knoblauch in before Bernie Williams bounced out. An intentional walk to Tino Martinez loaded the bases for Davis, who lofted a fly to left.

All that was left was for Mariano Rivera to post his fifth save with a perfect ninth and make a winner out of Mike Stanton (1-1).

“It was very exciting, but not surprising,” Knoblauch said the come-from-behind win.

Depending on the shape of Clemens’ hamstring, it could be a costly one, too.