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 Rarely at a loss Yanks' Clemens seeks share of AL win-streak record
Posted: Wednesday April 14, 1999 07:29 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- There's been nothing lucky about Roger Clemens' 16 straight wins without a loss. The Rocket, who earned No. 16 last Saturday in his home debut as a Yankee, tries to tie the American League record for consecutive victories held by Johnny Allen and Dave McNally on Thursday night against Baltimore. That game is at Yankee Stadium, too. "There's nothing to talk about," Clemens said. "It is what it is." What it is is an amazing run by one of baseball's best pitchers. After beginning last season 5-6 for Toronto, Clemens hasn't lost since last May 29, a span of 24 starts. At the age of 36, he continues to overpower hitters, posting a 2.26 ERA during the streak and winning his fifth Cy Young Award after last season. "I can't remember a power pitcher other than Nolan Ryan who could throw so hard for so long," said Orioles bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks, who caught McNally during his streak in 1968-69. "Even [Tom] Seaver had to learn how to conserve energy as he got older. Clemens doesn't give a damn about that. He still rears back, throws hard and has high pitch counts." While Clemens' success is triggered on his hard fastball, McNally was more of a junkball lefty. McNally not only wasn't the dominant pitcher in the league, he wasn't even the ace of his own staff, which included Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellar. McNally's streak, which ended on Rich Reese's grand slam for Minnesota, was in jeopardy many times before the Orioles bailed him out with late rallies.
"That's why we called him 'McLucky,'" Hendricks said. "Every time he would leave a game losing, we seemed to either tie it or take the lead. But most of the time he pitched great." Clemens has pitched great nearly all the time. His streak includes three shutouts, an 18-strikeout game and three wins against Baltimore. What makes it more impressive is that many people felt Clemens' career was on the downside after he went 40-39 in his last four seasons in Boston. But after arriving in Toronto in 1997, Clemens regained the dominant form from early in his career and has won consecutive Cy Young awards. "His velocity is back up a little," Baltimore's B.J. Surhoff said. "He is able to locate his pitches, which is something most power pitchers don't do. He has refined his splitter to give him a second out pitch. "It's on a different plane than his fastball and slider. You have to lay off it to have any chance against him." Clemens' opponent on Thursday has experience stopping long winning streaks. Mike Mussina was on the mound May 8, 1997, when Baltimore beat Seattle 13-3 to stop Randy Johnson's 16-game winning streak. "I know I'm pitching against the Yankees, in Yankee Stadium, against Roger Clemens going for the AL record, but I still have to pitch my game," Mussina said. "If I get too juiced up, I won't be able to do what I have to do." Clemens and Mussina -- the active leaders in winning percentage (minimum 75 wins) -- have been two of the most consistent starters in the AL this decade. They have met five times since Mussina came up in 1991, with only one pitchers' duel, which Mussina won 3-2 in 1994. Overall, Clemens is 2-1 with two no-decisions against Mussina. "I am not pitching against him," Clemens said. "Our hitters will work on him and I will work on getting their hitters out."
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