A day after winning their first away series of the season, Houston returned to Minute Maid Park with Roger Clemens on the hill, and true to form, provided no run support whatsoever for the 7 time Cy Young Award Winner, succumbing to the lowly Reds, 9-0. Clemens (7 K’s, 2 earned runs, 4 hits over 7 IP) saw a 2-0 deficit turned into a 9 run margin as John Franco and Russ Springer combined to face 8 batters and retire just one. Captain Fucko saw his ERA rise to 7.36 ; Springer , 8.62.
Cincy’s Aaron Harang (4-1) struck out 10 in 7 scoreless innings.
Aaron “Wang Dang Sweet” Harang
News of the Astros and Roger Clemens once again brings up the question of where he’ll be in September — or at this rate, late July — but is there any reason he wouldn’t play for the A’s (of Los Angeles)? Is he boudn to the Eastern AL for some reason?
Ben
I’ll quote ESPN’s Buster Olney on this, because his sources are better than mine (ie. he talks to front office schmoes and players, while I just read his column) :
http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/magazine/magBlogArchive?id=1961791&month=may#May31,20056:40:58AMPDT
“The only way it would happen is if a series of dominos fell:
1. Clemens directly lobbies Houston owner Drayton McLane for a trade;
2. Clemens promises McLane he’ll come back and pitch for the Astros in 2006;
3. The Yankees agree to trade for Clemens, with a willingness to a bill of about $12 million – in salary, the $3 million contractual kicker, and in luxury tax – for the last two months;
4. The Yankees promise to waive their rights to offer Clemens arbitration and get a draft pick in return, freeing him to return to Houston;
5. The Yankees agree to trade a good prospect, or maybe two, to get Clemens. Those are a lot of hurdles to cross.”