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View Full Version : Clemens Will Start Game 5, if Needed


Baseball Guru
10-14-2001, 08:06 PM
By Associated Press

October 14, 2001, 4:03 PM EDT


OAKLAND, Calif. -- Roger Clemens was headed back to New York on Sunday, ready to start Game 5 of the AL division playoffs against the Oakland Athletics if necessary.

Clemens left Game 1 of the best-of-5 series with a tight hamstring. The A's won the game, 5-3 and held a 2-1 advantage in the series heading into Sunday's game in Oakland.

Clemens threw off the mound for the past two days and felt good, Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

"This morning, he was in early and he threw off the mound and he's back to New York as we speak," Torre said Sunday. "He felt good today."

Torre, however, cautioned that Clemens was not at 100 percent.

"Sure, he's probably not as good as if it never happened," the manager said. "But the thing is, if we get to tomorrow, we'll have plenty of support for him."

Clemens was expected to face left-hander Mark Mulder, his opponent in Game 1, at Yankee Stadium.

Clemens, a 20-game winner for the Yankees in the regular season, felt a twinge in his hamstring in the fourth inning of the first game, and left an inning later.

Yankee 21
10-15-2001, 06:15 PM
As I just posted in Around the Horn, Pettite told Joe that he'd be more than happy to come in for relief of Roger, if he needed him! and I gotta say, having Roger at 80% is better than having some pitchers at 100%!
Roger flew in yesterday and Mulder opted to stay for the game and fly in to NY with the team. He can't be too well rested after being on a plane all night. That alone might cost the A's.