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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- It's been three months since Roger Clemens' last loss, and he just keeps getting stronger.
|  | | Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie was bloodied by a line drive to the face. Boston expects a report on his condition Saturday. |
Clemens pitched five-hit ball for eight innings, and David
Justice and Derek Jeter drove in two runs each as the New York Yankees increased their AL East lead over Boston to seven games with a 4-0 win over the Red Sox on Friday night.
"I'm throwing the way I want to and the way I know I can,"
Clemens said. "I'm healthy and I've got my legs back under me."
The game wound down on a scary note when Boston pitcher Bryce
Florie was hit in the ninth by a liner off the bat of Ryan
Thompson. The ball appeared to hit Florie below the right eye, and
he was taken off the field on a cart with blood streaming down.
Florie was rushed to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and
team spokesman Kevin Shea said a report wasn't expected before
Saturday.
"I've never seen that, something like that, up close," said
Lou Merloni, who picked up the ball and threw out Thompson at first. "To hear the sound I heard from third base, it wasn't a
good feeling."
Clemens (12-6) struck out seven, walked two and is 8-0 since
spending 16 days on the disabled list with a strained groin. In his
past three games, he's allowed just one run and 13 hits in 23
innings.
"The last six starts, we've seen the fire in his eyes," New
York manager Joe Torre said of the former Red Sox ace. "It was
apparent he was very determined when he came to the park today."
Dante Bichette, who returned to the AL on Aug. 31 for the first
time since 1992, recognized Clemens as the pitcher who won three
straight ERA titles in Bichette's three full seasons in the AL.
"You put the ball in play off him. That's all you can hope to
do," said Bichette, who went 2-for-4 Friday and is 9-for-20 in his
career against Clemens. "He's everything I remember him being."
Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth. During the season, Clemens has left six games with leads his bullpen wasted.
Boston starter Tomo Ohka (3-4) allowed two runs on five hits in
6 1/3 innings as Boston remained two games behind Cleveland in the
wild-card race.
"The first run, he made a good pitch and the ball fell in for
Justice," Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. "The second run, he made a mistake by leaving a splitter high."
With one out in the fourth, Jeter was hit by a pitch and took
second when Jose Offerman booted Paul O'Neill's grounder to second
for an error. Jeter advanced on Tino Martinez's flyout and scored
on Justice's single.
Ohka, who benefited from three double plays in the first five
innings, weakened in the seventh when Justice led off with his 37th
homer of the year, his 16th with the Yankees. Justice also had a
two-run homer Thursday night in a 7-3 win at Kansas City and has 48
RBI in 57 games since being traded by Cleveland on June 29.
"We're a team. It's not about me," he said. "When guys get in
scoring position, it's my job to drive them in."
Jeter finished the scoring with a two-run single in the ninth off Florie.
Clemens, who hasn't lost in 15 starts since June 9 against the
New York Mets, lowered his ERA to 3.38, second in the AL behind
Boston's Pedro Martinez (1.66), who starts Saturday.
On May 28, Clemens and Martinez each threw eight scoreless innings before Trot Nixon's two-run homer in the ninth gave Boston
a 2-0 victory.
Clemens "is 100 percent in control of what he needs to do,"
Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. "It's one of the best times
I've seen him pitch."
Ohka left after Jose Canseco's one-out double, and Tim Wakefield
retired the next two batters.
Clemens struck out the leadoff batter in the first, second and
fourth, allowing only a single by Bichette and a triple by Merloni
in that span.
He fanned the last two batters in the fifth before Nixon led off
the sixth with a double. But Clemens retired the next three
batters.
Boston threatened again in the seventh when a single by Bichette and a walk to Varitek put runners at first and second with two outs. But Merloni struck out.
Game notes
Yankees CF Bernie Williams missed his fourth straight game
with a strained right ribcage. ... Boston 1B Brian Daubach was
0-for-12 in his career against Clemens before lining a single past
the pitcher in the fifth. ... Ohka has pitched at least five
innings in all eight starts this season. ... Canseco was hitless in
17 at-bats before going 2-for-2 with a walk against his former
team. ... Jeter reached base four times on two walks, a
hit-by-pitch and a single; he has reached safely in 33 consecutive
games. He also stole two bases. ... New York is 11-4 in its last 15
road games.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
Florie bloodied by line drive to face, carted off field
Yanks' Cone expected to miss only one start
Yankees look to break from MSG, form own TV network
Bad shoulder forces Yanks to 'shut down' Mendoza
RECAPS
NY Yankees 4
Boston 0
Chi. White Sox 5
Cleveland 4
Toronto 3
Detroit 0
Texas 6
Kansas City 5
Anaheim 2
Baltimore 1
Tampa Bay 4
Oakland 0
Minnesota 4
Seattle 2
Houston 13
Chicago Cubs 10
Cincinnati 0
Pittsburgh 0
Pittsburgh 3
Cincinnati 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 2
Florida 1
Philadelphia 2
NY Mets 0
Atlanta 3
Montreal 2
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 5
Colorado 8
Los Angeles 5
San Diego 10
San Francisco 7
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Despite his offense, David Justice gave credit to pitchers Roger Clemens and Tomo Ohka.
wav: 203 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Commenting on teammate Bryce Florie's injury, Dante Bichette was at a loss for words.
wav: 54 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Not knowing the extent of Florie's injury, catcher Jason Varitek hopes for the best.
wav: 43 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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