Frye Makes It His Day to Remember

On the anniversary of Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout game last year, Jeff Frye deprived his former teammate of a victory.

Frye’s bases-loaded single in the ninth inning against Kelvim Escobar drove in two runs and gave the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 victory Thursday night over the Toronto Blue Jays in Boston.

“I won’t forget it. That’s for sure,” Frye said of his game-winning hit. “We still have nine games left and we’d like to finish on a high note, finish over .500.”

Frye didn’t know much about Escobar (3-2), a rookie who pitched his first major league game June 29. He knows plenty about Clemens, who left with a 2-1 lead after striking out 10 and allowing five hits and three walks in seven innings.

Frye was two for two with a walk against Clemens, and is six for nine in his career against the former Red Sox pitching ace.

“I really look up to the challenge of facing what I consider to be the best pitcher in the American League,” Frye said. “If that isn’t a challenge, I don’t know what is.”

Clemens appeared headed to his 22nd victory, which would have broken a tie with Jack Morris for a team record. He lowered his AL-leading ERA from 2.02 to 2.00.

He struck out at least 10 for the 13th time this season and 81st time in his career while passing Jim Bunning for the 11th spot on the all-time major league strikeout list at 2,863.

Clemens struck out 20 last Sept. 18 at Detroit, matching the major league record he set April 29, 1986, against Seattle.

Cleveland 4, Minnesota 1--Orel Hershiser, who lasted only three innings at Chicago Saturday, gave up three hits in 7 1/3 innings at Minneapolis as the Indians moved a season-best 14 games over .500.

The victory, combined with Milwaukee’s 4-3 loss to Baltimore, cut Cleveland’s magic number for clinching the AL Central to five.

“I wanted to have a solid outing after my last rough outing,” Hershiser said. “It’s easier to explain one bad outing before the playoffs than two or three. I just wanted to instill confidence back into the team that I could pitch well.”

Hershiser (14-6) did that by retiring 21 of 23 batters after Chuck Knoblauch’s leadoff single in the first. He struck out three and walked two as he improved to 5-1 since coming off the disabled list Aug. 13.

Baltimore 4, Milwaukee 3--Mike Bordick homered and made a key defensive play as the Orioles moved a step closer to the AL East title at Baltimore.

Mike Mussina (15-7) gave up three runs in six-plus innings for Baltimore, which won for only the eighth time in 21 games. The victory and New York’s 9-7 loss to Detroit reduced the Orioles’ magic number to win the division to five.

Bordick’s sixth homer, his first since Aug. 8, gave Baltimore a 4-1 lead in the fifth. Two innings later, he made a big play with his glove.

Mussina left after walking the leadoff hitter Jeff Cirillo in the seventh with Baltimore ahead, 4-3. Cirillo took second on a groundout before Bordick dived far to his left to stop a ball hit by Julio Franco and keep Cirillo from scoring.

Detroit 9, New York 7--Damion Easley’s two-run single in the 11th inning at New York prevented the Yankees from clinching a third straight postseason berth.

New York could have locked up a playoff spot with a victory because of the Angels’ 7-3 loss to Oakland.

Joe Borowski (0-1), making his first appearance since being claimed off waivers this week from Atlanta, walked the bases loaded in the 11th and Easley bounced his single through the left side with two outs.

Todd Jones (4-3) pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief for the victory. Dan Miceli got three outs for his third save.

Bernie Williams homered for New York, which trails first-place Baltimore by five games in the AL East. The Yankees’ winning streak ended at five.

Chicago 9, Kansas City 2--Doug Drabek took a no-hitter into the sixth and Robin Ventura hit his 150th career homer at Kansas City.

Drabek (11-11) didn’t allow a hit until Roderick Myers looped a single to right leading off the sixth. Drabek, who reached 30 starts for the ninth time in 10 seasons, gave up four hits in seven innings.

Chicago scored four runs in the eighth. Martinez had an RBI triple, Ventura and Mike Cameron drew bases-loaded walks, and Jorge Fabregas added a sacrifice fly. Albert Bell completed the scoring in the eighth with an RBI single.

The Royals are 0-12 against Chicago teams this season, 0-9 against the White Sox and 0-3 against the Cubs.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Roberto Kelly Seattle Two homers Win Ray Durham Chicago Career-high 4 hits Win Jeff Frye Boston 2-run, game-winning single Win

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Roger Clemens Toronto 10 SO’s, 5 hits allowed in 7 inn. Loss Orel Hershiser Cleveland Allowed 3 hits, 1 run in 7 1/3 inn. Win Doug Drabek Chicago Allowed 4 hits, 1 run in 7 inn. Win

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