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