Clemens Strikes Out 12, Red Sox End Slump

DETROIT, Michigan -- Roger Clemens struck out a season-high 12, and Rich Rowland hit a two-run homer as the Boston Red Sox ended a four-game skid with a 5-1 victory over the Tigers. Clemens (6-2), who gave up one run and four hits in seven innings Tuesday, has had only moderate success against Detroit. But he was in control from the very start this time, striking out seven in the first three innings. It was the 57th time Clemens has reached double figures in strikeouts. The record is 215 by Nolan Ryan. Clemens, who yielded Mickey Tettleton's ninth homer in the seventh, entered the game with a 10-8 record and 5.15 ERA in his first 22 career starts against the Tigers. Blue Jays 9, White Sox 5. In Chicago, Wilson Alvarez had his 15-game winning streak stopped as the Blue Jays scored in each of the first six innings. Roberto Alomar hit a two-run homer and an RBI single as the Blue Jays handed Alvarez (8-1) his first loss since Aug. 11. Alvarez shared the club record with LaMarr Hoyt, who won 15 straight games in 1983-84. Darrin Jackson drove in all five runs for the White Sox. Pat Hentgen (7-5) settled down after giving up a grand slam to Jackson in the first.Royals 7, Orioles 3. In Kansas City, David Cone became the first nine-game winner in the American League when the Royals rallied for five runs in the sixth. Chico Lind and Wally Joyner each had two-out, two-run singles in the inning as Cone (9-2) beat Ben McDonald, who was also after his ninth victory. Cone gave up five hits and two runs in eight innings.Rangers 10, Yankees 9. In Arlington, Texas, David Hulse and Jose Canseco each homered to key a six-run first inning as the Rangers outlasted the Yankees 10-9. Will Clark also homered and Esteban Beltre went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Texas won for the seventh time in nine games. Don Mattingly, Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams homered for the Yankees, who have dropped five of six. O'Neill went 3-for-5 to raise his major league-leading average to .431. Rangers rookie starter Hector Fajardo (2-1) was the beneficiary of the big early lead, surviving a two-run first, sixth-inning homers by O'Neill and Williams and a three-run New York ninth. Athletics 6, Brewers 5. In Oakland, Ruben Sierra's second homer of the game snapped an eighth-inning tie for the As, who had blown a 5-0 lead. Sierra hit a 1-2 pitch from Doug Henry (2-2) over the wall in right. for his 14th homer. He a homer right-handed and one left-handed for the fourth time in his career.Billy Taylor (1-3), picked up the win despite giving up a game-tying three-run homer to B.J. Surhoff in the seventh. Dennis Eckersley pitched the ninth for his sixth save.Mariners 9, Indians 5. In Seattle, Felix Fermin hit an RBI single and pinch-hitter Torey Lovullo added a three-run homer in the eighth inning. Jay Buhner doubled off Derek Lilliquist (1-2) to lead off the eighth and Brian Turang's sacrifice put Buhner at third. Mike Blowers walked and Fermin hit an infield single off Jose Mesa to make it 6-5. Lovullo, pinch-hitting for Bill Haselman, homered on Mesa's first pitch. Lovullo's second homer gave the Mariners 83 this season, tops in the majors. Bill Risley (5-2) got his second win in two games by pitching a perfect eighth.Twins 8, Angels 6. In Anaheim, Dave Winfield capped a two-out rally in the eighth inning with a two-run single.Trailing 5-4, pinch-hitter Chip Hale and Chuck Knoblauch delivered two-out singles off Mark Leiter (3-4), who was replaced by Joe Grahe. Grahe hit the first two batters he faced, Shane Mack and Kirby Puckett, to force in the tying run. Winfield then lined a single to center to give the Twins a 7-5 lead. Mark Guthrie (4-1) worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh by retiring by both batters he faced. Rick Aguilera pitched the ninth for his 12th save. Dodgers 2, Marlins 0. In Miami, Ramon Martinez pitched a three-hitter for his second consecutive shutout. Los Angeles snapped a four-game losing skid and stopped Florida's five-game winning streak, the longest in team history. Martinez (5-2), who has won his past five decisions, also singled in a run and helped himself with flawless glovework, recording three putouts and two assists. He struck out seven. Phillies 7, Cubs 6. Pinch-hitter Billy Hatcher's first hit for Philadelphia drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Phillies sent Chicago to its eighth straight loss in Philadelphia. Darren Daulton singled with one out against Randy Myers (0-3), moved up on a groundout and was running on the pitch when Hatcher singled to left field. Hatcher had been 0-for-3 for the Phillies since they got him and pitcher Paul Quantrill from Boston on May 31 in a trade for Wes Chamberlain and Mike Sullivan. Quantrill (1-0), who got one out in the eighth, got his first NL victory. Doug Jones pitched the ninth for his league-leading 15th save.Expos 3, Astros 2. Marquis Grissom's single in the seventh inning scored the go-ahead run and lifted the Montreal Expos over Houston to their sixth straight win in Montreal. Grissom's one-out liner off David Veres (2-3) scored Sean Berry. Gil Heredia (2-2) pitched 1 1-3 innings of hitless relief for the win. Giants 3, Pirates 2. Matt Williams hit his league-leading 21st homer on reliever Rick White's second pitch in the 10th inning, carrying the San Francisco Giants past Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh.Rod Beck (2-3) pitched the final 1 2-3 innings for the victory, only the Giants' third in nine extra-inning games. The Giants are 5-0 against Pittsburgh this season. Braves 12, Padres 3. Fred McGriff homered for the third time in four games and drove in five runs as the Atlanta Braves pounded San Diego for their seventh win in eight games in Atlanta. McGriff tied his career-high for RBIs as the Braves increased their record to 36-19, best in the majors, and their mark to 19-2 against NL West teams. Reds 5, Cardinals 0. Erik Hanson rebounded from two miserable starts by pitching one-hit ball for eight innings Tuesday night and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 in St. Louis.Hanson (4-5) gave up a single to Ozzie Smith with one out in the first inning, then retired 20 batters in a row. Hanson had surrendered 13 earned runs on 22 hits in 7 2/3 innings in his two previous starts. Chuck McElroy pitched the ninth for Cincinnati and gave up one hit. Rockies 10, Mets 8. In Denver, Shortstop Jose Vizcaino's error enabled the Colorado Rockies to score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for a victory over New York. Colorado scored five runs in the seventh inning to take an 8-4 lead, but the Mets rallied with four in the eighth.