On This Date in Sports September 18, 1996: 20 Strikeout Encore
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
A decade after he exploded on the scene with 20 strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners, Roger Clemens, in one of his final appearances with the Boston Red Sox, strikes out 20 Detroit Tigers in a 4-0 win at Tiger Stadium. Clemens had been viewed as a pitcher on the decline as he neared free agency. The 20 strikeout game was a reminder that he still had one of the most explosive arms in the game and showed the greatness to come over the second half of his career.
Roger Clemens was born on August 4, 1962, in Dayton, Ohio. When he was 15, Clemens and his family moved to Houston, where he began to catch the eye of professional scouts. After attending San Jacinto Junior College in Houston, Roger Clemens turned down a chance to play with the New York Mets, who drafted him in the 12th round of the 1981 MLB Draft, choosing to play baseball at the University of Texas. After helping the Longhorns won the College World Series in 1983, Clemens was drafted by the Boston Red Sox, with the 19th overall pick.
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Roger Clemens made his debut less than a year later but had mediocre numbers in his first two seasons, posting a record of 9-4 in 1984 and 7-5 while dealing with a torn labrum in 1985. After his shoulder troubles, Clemens underwent arthroscopic surgery from James Andrews. In 1986 he had a season for the ages that included a record 20-strikeout game against the Seattle Mariners on April 30th. Roger Clemens won 24 games in 1986 and won the Cy Young and MVP as the Red Sox went to the 1986 World Series, losing a heartbreaker in seven games.
Over the next five years, Roger Clemens became the best pitcher in baseball; he won the Cy Young in 1987 and 1991 while finishing second in 1990 ballotting despite a 1.93 ERA. Clemens was among the big stars in baseball, becoming one of the richest players in the game. However, in 1993 Clemens began to struggle as he dealt with arm issues which caused his fastball to become more hittable. Over the next four seasons, Roger Clemens was average at best, leading the Red Sox to let him walk following the 1996 season.
Roger Clemens was struggling again in 1996, as he had a record 9-12 as the Red Sox faced the lowly Detroit Tigers in a mid-September game. The Red Sox were out of the race at 78-73 under manager Kevin Kennedy who guided them to a surprise division title in 1995. The Tigers were in a nightmarish 109 loss season under manager Buddy Bell, sitting at 51-100 as they hosted Boston on a Wednesday night.
Justin Thompson, who was 1-5 on the season, got the start for Detroit as Roger Clemens took the mound, hoping to finish strong for the coming free agency marketplace. Around this time, Clemens was getting a second wind in his career, helped by Jose Canseco, who introduced a new workout routine. Clemens had a strong start, striking out the side in the second, as he fanned seven in the first three innings. The Red Sox took a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning as Rudy Pemberton had a two-run double, scoring Jose Valentin and Mike Greenwell. Pemberton would score on a single by Bill Hasleman.
Roger Clemens had 15 strikeouts after six innings, as he had a run of five strikeouts in the fourth and fifth inning. After a single by Brad Asmus, Clemens struck out three more, creating a buzz at Tiger Stadium. Clemens added two more strikeouts in the seventh, as the record was in reach. Rudy Pemberton had a second double in the eighth and scored on a single by Hasleman to make it 4-0 in favor of Boston. After a pair of singles by Melvin Nieves and Phil Nevin, Clemens struck out the next two batters and had a chance to reach 20 in eight innings before Bobby Higginson grounded out to second.
Taking the mound in the ninth, Roger Clemens had 19 strikeouts as he looked to equal his own record set in 1986. Alan Trammell, at the end of his Hall of Fame career, poped up Mo Vaugh at first. Following a single by Ruben Sierra, Tony Clark was retired by a fly ball to left field. This left just one batter to equal the record, as he had at least two strikeouts in every other inning. Pitching around a Wild Pitch, Clemens got Travis Fryman swinging and ended the game with 20Ks.
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The win was the tenth for Roger Clemens in the 1996 season and 192nd of his career. It would be his final win in a Red Sox uniform. Clemens finished the season 10-13 and left to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he rejuvenated his career, winning two Cy Youngs in 1997 and 1998, as he would win a record six Cy Youngs over his career before retiring in 2007.