BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Error Helps Clemens Outduel Saberhagen

A matchup between two two-time Cy Young Award winners lived up to its billing Thursday when Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox faced Bret Saberhagen of the Kansas City Royals.

Clemens, with the help of an unearned run, increased his shutout streak to 23 innings as the Red Sox beat the Royals, 1-0, at Boston.

Clemens (3-0), who shut out Cleveland in his last start, gave up three hits in eight innings. He walked one and struck out 10, reaching double figures for his second consecutive game and the 43rd time in his career.

Tony Fossas got one out in the ninth and Jeff Reardon earned his second save.

“It was the type of game where you hope for a break, and we got it,” said Clemens, who won the Cy Young Award in 1986 and 1987. “They hit some balls hard, but our guys came up with them. I had good stuff, but my forkball kept doing different things and it was hard to keep it in the strike zone.”

Clemens, in his eighth season, improved to 11-2 against the Royals. He is 21-6 in April with a 2.10 earned-run average.

Saberhagen (1-2) gave up four hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings, but was the victim of an error by left fielder Jim Eisenreich as the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep, their first against the Royals since 1988.

Wade Boggs singled with two outs in the third inning for the game’s first hit. Jody Reed then broke an 0-for-17 slump by hitting a 3-2 pitch into shallow left field and Boggs scored from first as the ball skipped past Eisenreich for an error.

“You go in against Clemens and you expect to have a great ballgame, and that’s exactly what happened,” said Saberhagen, who won the Cy Young Award in 1985 and 1989. “You can’t make mistakes in a ballpark like this with that kind of lineup.”

Clemens, pitching while his five-game suspension is being appealed, was scheduled for a hearing before Commissioner Fay Vincent in New York today. Clemens was given the penalty for his conduct in Game 4 of last year’s American League playoffs.

The Royals advanced a runner as far as third only once. Eisenreich singled to lead off the sixth, Kevin Seitzer struck out for the third time and Eisenreich stole second. He took third on an infield out, but Danny Tartabull fouled out to end the threat.

Chicago 3, Pittsburgh 2--After 18 months of doubt and uncertainty about his future as a majorleague pitcher, Rick Sutcliffe showed the Cubs that he is back. Now, the Pirates are wondering when the Doug Drabek of 1990 will return.

Sutcliffe pitched six innings at Pittsburgh for his first victory since Oct. 1, 1989, and Drabek lost his third consecutive decision in another matchup of former Cy Young Award winners.

“It’s been a long time since there’s been a ‘W’ beside my name,” said Sutcliffe, who combined with relievers Heath Slocumb and Paul Assenmacher to retire the final 19 Pirates after Bobby Bonilla’s two-run single in the third inning.

Mark Grace and George Bell drove in runs in the Cubs’ two-run sixth inning and Doug Dascenzo’s grounder drove in the tiebreaking run an inning later as the Cubs ended a seven-game losing streak in Pittsburgh.

Sutcliffe gave up two runs and four hits, walked two and struck out two in six innings for his first victory since beating St. Louis in his final 1989 regular-season start.

“I don’t mean to sound like a kid in a candy store, but this means a lot more than the first (victory) I had,” said Sutcliffe, who won his 99th major league game. “I was 21 then and I expected to win some games up here. Tonight, I didn’t know.”

Drabek, who won 14 of his last 16 decisions last year, is 0-3 and has a 6.19 ERA.

“Sure, it’s disappointing, it’s certainly nowhere near the kind of start you want,” Drabek said. “I didn’t make quality pitches when I needed to. But the last thing I want to do is make all kinds of changes to make things happen. I’m 0-3 but the team is .500 (5-5), so it has to get better.”

The Pirates hope it does for 1990 National League MVP Barry Bonds, who returned to the lineup after a four-day injury layoff. He is two for 22 (.090) with no homers and no RBIs and is hitless in his past 14 at-bats.

Milwaukee 4, Baltimore 3--Robin Yount hit a home run off Jose Bautista with two outs in the 11th inning at Milwaukee to give the Brewers the victory.

It was Yount’s second homer.

“I never really got anything going this spring,” said Yount, who also had the 499th and 500th doubles of his career. “I was hoping I could get off to a proper start to get in the proper frame of mind for a long season.”

Said Bautista (0-1): “My mechanics are off and I don’t know what it is. I threw Yount a fastball and got it up.”

The Brewers, who did not give up a hit after the sixth inning, tied the score, 3-3, in the seventh when Paul Molitor walked to finish starter Jeff Ballard and Gary Sheffield doubled one out later off Mark Williamson.

Ballard, 18-8 in 1989 and 2-11 last season, was bidding for consecutive winning decisions for the first time since September 1989. He gave up four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Edwin Nunez (1-0) got the victory with one inning of hitless relief. He followed Darren Holmes, who was perfect for 4 2/3 innings.

Texas 7, Cleveland 0--Julio Franco claims he gets no particular thrill out of beating his former teammates. His numbers tell a different story.

Franco hit a two-run home run and an RBI single as the Rangers beat the Indians at Cleveland behind Bobby Witt’s four-hitter.

Franco’s two-for-five performance improved his career average against Cleveland to .337.

Franco played for the Indians from 1983 through 1988, when they traded him to Texas for three players.

“The Indians are just another team we want to beat,” Franco said. “It’s nice to hit well against them, but it’s nothing special. When I’m hitting good, I hit good against anybody. When I’m not, anybody can get me out.”

Witt (1-1) pitched his fifth career shutout, striking out seven and walking five.

The Rangers have won three in a row after opening the season with four consecutive losses. The Indians have been shut out three times in nine games, and their team batting average dipped to .190.

“Our offense is not pretty to look at,” Cleveland Manager John McNamara said.

Greg Swindell (0-3) gave up six runs, five of them earned, and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The loss was his first in six career decisions against Texas.

Texas leadoff hitter Brian Downing was hitless for the first time in four games, but he walked three times and was hit by a pitch. He has reached base safely 16 times in 20 plate appearances.