NEW YORK, Oct 31: Roger Clemens turned the potential distraction of President George W. Bush throwing out the ceremonial first pitch into a reminder to focus, and the New York Yankees got their must-win World Series Game Three.

The pitcher went seven innings on Tuesday night, giving up three hits and three walks while striking out nine, as the Yankees cut the Diamondbacks’ lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Clemens, the only five-time Cy Young Award winner, said the camera flashes that electrified Yankee Stadium when the president threw the ball “reminded me when I get ready to turn loose my first pitch to really lock in, because there’s probably going to be some pictures being taken”.

“And, to be honest with you, I didn’t notice it, so that was a good thing.”

Seven innings from Clemens meant Mariano Rivera, the closest thing to an automatic closer in baseball, could come on and go the final two innings.

He did, one-two-three, one-two-three, with four strikeouts.

That extended Rivera’s record for Series saves to eight. Of those eight, seven have been more than one inning.

The Panamanian right-hander has an 0.72 ERA with 24 saves, 23 in a row, in 49 postseason games.

Clemens came in with just a 5-5 postseason record but, after a sparkling 20-3 regular season with a 3.51 ERA, he has a 2.66 earned run average in four starts this postseason.

In five career World Series starts, his ERA is 1.85 and he is 3-0 with an 0.79 ERA in his three starts in the Fall Classic for the Yankees.—Reuters