Take 2 Roundup: Games of Wed, 4/9/08

[bernieh]

[size=24:4d949ba1b2][b:4d949ba1b2]ROCKET SCIENCE[/b:4d949ba1b2][/size:4d949ba1b2]
[size=18:4d949ba1b2]Clemens (22-9) Shuts the Orioles the Heck Out[/size:4d949ba1b2]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/roger_clemens_2_150x195.jpg" align="left" border="1" width="150" height="195" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> 23-year-old phenom Roger Clemens continued his breakout, storybook season by firing a [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1807]1-0 complete game 3-hit shutout of the Baltimore Orioles[/url] on Wednesday night, improving his record to an astounding 22-9 on the season with still about a month left to play. Clemens' 22 wins is 3 more than the Majors' next highest total, 19, shared by teammate Bruce Hurst and Oakland's Curt Young.

Even bigger than Clemens' individual achievement is the way he's led the Red Sox back from the depths of the AL East cellar all the way back to the thick of the insanely close pennant race. Boston now sits 6 games out of 1st place, behind the Tigers, Yankees and Blue Jays.

[b:4d949ba1b2]Speaking of the Tigers[/b:4d949ba1b2], the AL East division leaders had a relatively easier time, as All-Star shortstop Alan Trammell's 2 homers and Jack Morris' right arm [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1810]pummeled the Brewers to a bloody 15-1 pulp[/url]. The Yankees won their 6th straight, staying within a half game of the Tigers.

And DON'T LOOK NOW but [b:4d949ba1b2]here come the Phillies[/b:4d949ba1b2]. After [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1803]pulverizing the Cubs, 12-2[/url] on Wednesday night, Philadelphia finds itself a mere 4 games back of the Mets and Cardinals (who both lost) in the NL East, the closest they have been since the very beginning of the season.

It's been that kind of year, folks...

[i:4d949ba1b2]photo: SN Archives[/i:4d949ba1b2]