Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

NEW YORK (AP) — Forget having trouble with Derek Lowe's sinkerball. What really had Elvis Andrus and the Texas Rangers flummoxed was David Phelps' pickoff move.

Lowe pitched four shutout innings in his New York debut, Phelps picked off two runners while making a spot start for ace CC Sabathia and the Yankees roughed up Ryan Dempster in an 8-2 victory over the Rangers on Monday night.

"It's not a good feeling, for sure," Andrus said after being caught off second base with Nelson Cruz at the plate.

Nick Swisher hit a grand slam off Dempster and drove in five runs. Swisher's second slam this season was his 200th career homer.

Eric Chavez also homered off Dempster (1-1), the Rangers' recent acquisition.

In the opener of a four-game series between the teams with the AL's best records, the Yankees powered their way to a sixth straight victory over Texas in the Bronx.

Dempster matched a season high by allowing eight runs. The other time he allowed eight was in his first start for Texas on Aug. 2. In three starts since coming from the Cubs in a trade-deadline deal, Dempster has allowed 19 runs — 16 earned — in 17 1-3 innings. He was 5-5 with a 2.25 ERA for Chicago.

"Too much is made of that," Dempster said of switching leagues. "I know how to make pitches. When you're facing lineups and you don't get that break at the bottom of the lineup where you have the pitcher hitting, and you always have a hitter, every pitch is really, really valuable and it just comes down to executing one pitch at a time. Simple plan. Nothing more and nothing less than that. And tonight, I paid for my mistakes."

Ichiro Suzuki tripled and Derek Jeter followed with a long RBI double in the seventh to end Dempster's third start for Texas.

Swisher added an RBI single in the seventh as New York won for the fifth time in six games.

Phelps (3-3) was being held to a 75-80 pitch limit in place of Sabathia, who has a sore elbow. Phelps needed 26 pitches in the first without being hit hard. But thanks in part to a nifty pickoff move, he fulfilled his manager's wish to make it through five innings.

"I really wanted to get him through the fifth inning. I thought it was important for him," Joe Girardi said. "It's important for us, too."

Phelps turned over a 5-2 lead to Lowe in the sixth. Designated for assignment by Cleveland on Aug. 2 and released Friday, Lowe signed with New York earlier Monday and made his first appearance since July 31.

Lowe earned his first regular-season save since 2001 while with Boston, shutting down Texas on two hits. He walked none and struck out four.

Lowe went 8-10 with a 5.52 ERA for the Indians this season, and he had an 8.80 ERA in his final 12 starts for Cleveland.

"I had to get back to hiding the ball a little better," Lowe said. "I'm not going to do jumping jacks because you pitch one good game because you're in this for the long haul."

The 39-year-old right-hander, a longtime rival of the Yankees while he pitched for the Red Sox, received little notice from the fans when his name was called to start the sixth. After retiring three straight in the seventh, the crowd gave him a loud ovation.

The high-powered Rangers had ample opportunities to break open the game early against Phelps, making his fourth start and first since July 4. They scored a run in the first on a broken-bat single by Cruz and added another when David Murphy led off the second with a homer.

Phelps hit Ian Kinsler with a pitch with two outs in the second. He then picked him off first base to end the inning with Andrus at bat. Andrus opened the third with a single and advanced to second on Adrian Beltre's infield single with one out. But Phelps picked off Andrus at second for out No. 2.

"It's never fun to make baserunning mistakes," Murphy said. "We run the bases aggressively and sometimes it really works out for us and sometimes it doesn't."

Phelps allowed two runs and six hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Making his first start in the Bronx since 2000, Dempster retired his first six hitters then it fell apart in the third, when seven of the first eight batters reached.

"When he missed, they didn't miss. That team over there, you've got to execute," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "You don't execute, they make you pay."

Russell Martin led off with an opposite-field single to right and Raul Ibanez followed with a hit that fell just in front of Cruz, the right fielder. Suzuki, batting ninth for the first time in his career, sacrificed. Jeter fell behind 1-2 before walking to load the bases.

Swisher lined a shot into the second deck in right for the sixth slam of his career and a 4-2 lead. Swisher had not homered since July 19 — a drought of 61 at-bats — a day before he injured his hip flexor and missed six games.

New York loaded bases again without making an out, then Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly.

Dempster still has not beaten New York. He is 0-4 in five starts against the Yankees.

NOTES: A moment of silence was held for Red Sox player, manager and broadcaster Johnny Pesky, who died Monday at 92. ... Washington said Andrus will probably get a day at DH this series. Michael Young was working out at shortstop pregame. ... Young's 15-game hitting streak at new Yankee Stadium came to an end. He went 0 for 4.

CHICAGO (AP) — As Brandon Barnes rounded the bases to celebrate his first big league homer, the Wrigley Field faithful threw the souvenir back onto the field.

Only this time, a second ball came flying back with it.

"We got the right one," Barnes confirmed with a grin.

Barnes' shot was all the Houston Astros managed Monday night as Jeff Samardzija matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in seven innings and the Chicago Cubs won 7-1.

The Astros have lost 25 of their last 27 road games.

"After (Samardzija) got that lead, it seemed like he really started throwing the ball well," Astros manager Brad Mills said. "There was a lot of movement. He was throwing (his slider and cutter) for what looked like strikes, and they were breaking out of the zone."

Samardzija (8-10) allowed one run and four hits. He also fanned 11 at Atlanta on July 2.

"It's my first year starting so I really want to show the staff that I can pitch late in the year and still pitch late in the games late in the year," Samardzija said. "It's a big proving year for me."

Darwin Barney and Alfonso Soriano hit two-run homers and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for the Cubs, who won for just the second time in 13 games..

The crowd of 31,452 was the smallest of the season at Wrigley Field.

Barnes had a pinch-hit shot in the sixth for the Astros, who have the worst record in the majors. Called up from the minors on Aug. 7, Barnes homered in his fourth big league game.

"Amazing. Not many words I can say. It was really cool," Barnes said. "I wasn't 100 percent sure it was going out. Once I saw it was out, I was pretty excited."

Armando Galarraga (0-3) was tagged for five runs and seven hits.

"Two home runs cost me the game," Galarraga said. "Believe it or not, it was a better start than the last couple. I threw more strikes, threw everything I wanted to. I just missed those two."

Samardzija came into the game with the second-lowest run support in the majors at 3.19. Chicago had scored two or fewer runs for him in 11 of his last 12 outings.

Starlin Castro led off the Cubs second with a single and two outs later, Barney hit his sixth homer.

In the third, Rizzo singled home Josh Vitters to give Samardzija a three-run cushion.

After Rizzo singled in the fifth, Soriano hit his 21st home run.

Welington Castillo had an RBI infield single in the seventh and Vitters drove in Barney with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

NOTES: Lucas Harrell, Tuesday's scheduled starter for Houston, will try for his 10th win of the season. He ranks first among NL rookies in innings pitched. ... Cubs starter Chris Volstad will try to win his first game since July 10, 2011, on Tuesday. He has not won in 22 starts. ... Astros C Jason Castro was back in the lineup after missing nearly a month with a right knee contusion. He was 1 for 4 and struck out three times.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chris Volstad is not thinking about his winless skid. He's just trying to make better pitches.

Volstad gave up a three-run homer to Brett Wallace and remained winless in 23 starts, the Chicago Cubs' 10-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

"The past is in the past, so the only thing I'm concerned with is my next game," Volstad said.

Fernando Martinez also hit a three-run homer, backing Lucas Harrell's eight strong innings for Houston.

Harrell (10-8) scattered six hits and struck out six, helping the Astros win for only the third time in their last 28 road games. Harrell has allowed two runs or fewer in all seven of his starts since the All-Star break.

"Harrell came right after us," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "Looked like he threw probably 90 percent fastballs. We didn't capitalize on his aggressiveness at all."

Volstad (0-9) lasted just five innings, allowing eight hits and four runs in his latest bid for his first big league win since July 10, 2011. He is approaching the major league record of 28 held by Cliff Curtis, Matt Keough and Jo-Jo Reyes.

"There was nothing real crisp going on," Sveum said. "The command, getting the ball up. The off-speed stuff, that's what was getting hit hard."

In Volstad's first two outings since being recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 1, he allowed just five runs in 13 innings. He wasn't as sharp on Tuesday, but still sees some positives.

"I had a really good changeup," Volstad said. "Sinker had some good action on that. Fastball was down for the most part. Probably one or two that were elevated a little bit. I would say as far as consistency, that's getting better."

Volstad fell to 0-14 with a 5.51 ERA during his winless skid, which has been dotted with quality outings here and there.

Scott Moore added a solo shot and double twice for a career-high three extra-base hits. Jose Altuve doubled twice and had three of Houston's 13 hits.

Darwin Barney drove in the Cub's run with a fielder's choice in the seventh.

The Cubs have lost 12 of 14 and matched their season high by falling 25 games under .500, their worst record since finishing the 2006 season 30 games below break-even.

Harrell retired the first eight Cubs before Volstad singled with two outs in the third, his first hit of the season. Harrell induced two double plays and nearly got a third when Barney just beat Tyler Greene's relay in the seventh, allowing Starlin Castro to score.

Harrell got plenty of support in Houston's biggest offensive outburst since scoring 11 runs in Chicago on June 10 against the White Sox. Houston had scored just 11 runs combined in its last six losses on the road.

"Isn't that nice?" Astros manager Brad Mills said. "Besides swinging the bat, we made some defensive plays. Lucas comes out and gives us just an absolutely quality start, and gives us that opportunity."

Wallace's homer to dead center in third gave Harrell an early cushion.

Houston's five-run sixth was aided by Castro's error on a likely double-play ball, his 18th miscue of the season. He tied Pittsburgh third baseman Pedro Alvarez for the most errors in the majors.

Moore doubled in Altuve in the first to open the scoring and kick off his best night as a big leaguer. Moore, who broke into the majors with the Cubs in 2006, doubled and scored in the sixth and hit a solo homer to right in the seventh.

Volstad will get another shot at breaking his funk in five days, when Sveum hopes he will see more of what he showed in his two previous starts.

"After a couple of good outings, even the outing in Triple-A, it was kind of based around one pitch," Sveum said. "I think he'll tell you his stuff wasn't what it was the last couple of outings."

NOTES: Mills said RHP Francisco Cordero (sprained ligament in toe) likely won't return until Sept. 1. ... The Cubs announced that Albert Almora, their top pick in June's draft, had been promoted from rookie league Mesa, Ariz., to Class-A Boise. Almora, 18, hit .347 with one homer, 13 RBIs and five steals in 18 games for Mesa. ... Sveum said RHP Matt Garza had not been ruled out for the season, but was still more than a week away from resuming throwing. Garza was placed on the disabled list on July 28 because of stress reaction in his right elbow.

CHICAGO (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Bud Norris left Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs after being hit in the foot by a line drive in the fourth inning.

Following David DeJesus' second homer of the game, Josh Vitters hit a liner up the middle that deflected off Norris' left foot toward the third base bag.

Norris took two warm-up pitches before shaking his head toward the team trainer. He was replaced by Chuckie Fick. Norris was diagnosed with a left foot contusion.

He gave up six runs on eight hits over 3 1-3 innings and left trailing 6-1. He has now gone 13 consecutive starts without a win.

NEW YORK (AP) — Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington has no problem with his offense. It's the New York Yankees pitchers who are causing the trouble.

Freddy Garcia worked around two homers by Josh Hamilton to remain undefeated against Texas for eight years and the Yankees beat the Rangers for the third straight night, 3-2 on Wednesday.

The Rangers have been limited to four runs in the first three games of the four-game series between the teams with the best records in the AL.

"I wasn't expecting that. But, once again, pitching stops everything," Washington said. "You've got to give them credit. Their pitching stopped us. That's the difference right there."

Hamilton became the second player to reach 100 RBIs this season — Detroit's Miguel Cabrera was first — with his career-high 33rd homer, a line drive to right in the fourth inning. His majestic drive in the sixth was all Texas could muster in their eighth straight loss in the Bronx.

The lefty slugger had a shot for a third homer but struck out against Rafael Soriano in the ninth inning of a game that was delayed by rain 1 hour, 45 minutes at the start.

"When you're seeing the ball good, you feel like you can pretty much hit anything," Hamilton said. "But, at that point in the game, you just want to get somebody on base and give yourself a chance to tie the ballgame up."

Nick Swisher gave the Yankees the lead with an RBI double off Scott Feldman in a three-run third inning. Swisher put the Yankees ahead in the first two games, too. He hit a grand slam Monday and a two-run shot Tuesday night in a matchup between the teams with the best records in the AL.

Garcia (7-5) matched David Phelps and Hiroki Kuroda with another stellar start for the Yankees. He followed up Kuroda's two-hitter Tuesday by giving up four hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Garcia has not lost to the Rangers since 2004, going 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA in six starts coming in.

"Our guys have done a tremendous job," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I applaud our pitchers."

A well-rested bullpen then finished for the Yankees' seventh win in eight games.

Boone Logan got one out. David Robertson struck out two in a perfect eighth and, after the strikeout of Hamilton, Soriano worked around a throwing error by Eric Chavez for his 29th save.

With second baseman Robinson Cano getting a night off because of a stiff neck, Mark Teixeira serving as the designated hitter. Alex Rodriguez out with a broken hand, Derek Jeter was the only regular in the infield, and the Rangers tested the group in the fourth inning.

After Hamilton's homer, Adrian Beltre singled. Nelson Cruz then hit a grounder to Chavez, who chose to try for the force at second but his throw was late. Fill-in second baseman Jayson Nix's relay to Swisher, the substitute first baseman, was late, putting runners on first and second.

David Murphy walked to load the bases but Garcia got Geovany Soto to hit a grounder to Jeter. Swisher fell while stretching to keep his foot on the base and completed the 6-4-3 double play.

"Once again, Freddy made a pitch," Washington said. "He did exactly what you would like to see a pitcher do, make sure you get that ground ball, and he got it and got out of the inning."

Curtis Granderson had a sacrifice fly and Chavez added an RBI single, the first of his three hits.

But Feldman (6-8) pitched out of trouble in the fourth, fifth and six innings, working around three walks and two hits. In six innings overall, he allowed three runs, seven hits and four walks. He struck out seven.

"I didn't feel I was throwing the ball bad, even when that (the third inning) was going on". I just tried to keep doing what I was doing, and the defense made some plays behind me. They just got one more than us tonight."

Hamilton pulled the Rangers to 3-2 in the sixth, launching a mega-homer way up the bleachers in right. It was his third multihomer game this season.

Ian Kinsler was ejected by home plate umpire Vic Carapazza in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes. He is 0 for 11 in the series.

NOTES: Rangers RHP Koji Uehara (strained right lat muscle) threw 20 pitches in batting practice without problems at Double-A Frisco. The plan is for him to throw 30 in a BP session Saturday. ... Rodriguez (broken left hand) will have another X-ray on Sunday. He said the results will help set the next steps in his rehabilitation. ... Hamilton had a four-homer game this season at Baltimore on May 8. ... Jeter has an 11-game hitting streak. ... Rangers INF Michael Young was given a day off from the starting lineup. He flied out in the seventh as a pinch-hitter and played second base in the ninth as Texas lost its DH spot. ... Rain knocked out the TV signal in the press box with one out to go in Seattle ace Felix Hernandez's perfect game.

SUGAR LAND, Texas (AP) — Hours after Roger Clemens agreed to join the Sugar Land Skeeters, he was back on the field playing in an over-50 softball league.

And the ultra-competitive Clemens, now a half-century old, was quick to point out just how well he did against that group of geezers.

"I hit two homers, by the way," he said.

Things will be a bit tougher on Saturday when he is scheduled to start for the independent Atlantic League team at home against Bridgeport. The right-hander agreed to play for the team on Monday and was introduced on Tuesday.

Whether this all leads to Clemens pitching in the major leagues — the seven-time Cy Young Award winner played that down, conceding he's nowhere near big league pitching shape.

"I'm 50 years old. We're just going to go out and have fun with this and make it fun for the fans," said Clemens, who has a touch of gray stubble on his chin but still sports a shock of blond highlights in his hair.

Clemens didn't understand all the rules of his old-man softball league at first. When he hit his first home run and dashed to first base, his teammates told him to stop. He thought it was because home runs weren't allowed. It turned out that the over-50 set doesn't see the need to run all of the bases on a homer.

"I really play in that league for the exercise and the fun," he said.

He laughed off questions about playing professionally at an age when he qualifies for an AARP card.

"I hope nothing breaks and I hope I don't pull anything," a still fit-looking Clemens said.

Some believe his return to the minor leagues is the first step to another comeback in the major leagues, where he last pitched for the New York Yankees in 2007 at age 45. Clemens is set to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot going to voters late this year. If he plays in a major league game this year, his Hall consideration would be pushed back five years.

He isn't sure how he'll be perceived by voters when his name appears on the ballot.

"Sure, the Hall of Fame is great, I've told people that. But it's not going to change my life either way," he said. "But if there's something there that somebody feels like they have a grudge or want to hold something against you, I can't control that one bit."

Clemens said thinking about a big league comeback is premature.

He dismissed the theory that the minor league appearance was a step on the path to a big league return.

"I've been to the major leagues and back a couple of times," he said. "I've retired and unretired, so I wouldn't consider thinking that far ahead. I'm just going to try to get through Saturday. I think I can compete a little bit."

A return at his age wouldn't be all that outlandish, considering that Jamie Moyer returned from elbow ligament replacement surgery to start for the Colorado Rockies this season. Clemens chuckled when asked about Moyer.

"People are trying to ingrain that in my mind that 50 is now the new 40," he said. "But I'm not buying it because I'm still having to pack myself in a lot of ice."

He says he talks to new Houston Astros owner Jim Crane often but that he has not talked about pitching for the Astros and that he doesn't see that happening.

He isn't committing to playing more than one game for the Skeeters, who play in a Houston suburb, saying he wants to see how Saturday goes first.

Clemens was accused by former personal trainer Brian McNamee in the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball of using steroids and HGH, allegations Clemens denied before Congress. The Justice Department began an investigation concerning whether Clemens had lied under oath, and in 2010 a grand jury indicted him on two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress.

He was acquitted of all the charges on June 19 after a 10-week trial and has largely stayed out of the public spotlight until now.

He's glad to be talking about baseball again instead of that difficult chapter in his life.

"Everybody has their own opinion and they dwell on that so much," he said. "In between all of that, handling that business up there and doing what was right for me and my family and taking that head on, I was still doing the work that I've always done. So it wasn't gloomy or depressing."

Clemens had two great seasons with the Astros after he turned 40, going 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 2004 to win his record seventh Cy Young Award. He was 13-8 with a career-low 1.87 ERA in 2005.

Tal Smith, a longtime former Astros executive who is now a special advisor to the Skeeters, is one person who wouldn't be surprised if Clemens made a comeback in the majors.

"Knowing Roger and how competitive he is and what great shape he is in, and the fact that Jamie Moyer pitched close to 50 and Nolan Ryan pitched well into his late 40s, if anybody can do it, Roger Clemens can do it," he said.

Clemens earned about $160 million and won 354 games in a 24-year career with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros. His 4,672 strikeouts are third-most and he was named to 11 All-Star games.

Now he will see what he has left for the Skeeters that have a roster which includes former major league pitchers Tim Redding and Scott Kazmir and Jason Lane, a teammate of Clemens' on Houston's 2005 World Series team.

Smith believes this is a great opportunity for Clemens and he thinks it could change some opinions as a possible Hall of Fame vote approaches.

"I hope this helps," Smith said. "I think voters should remember that he's been acquitted of all charged and that he never tested positive. I hope this story dies down in future years."

Clemens and Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti have been talking about this since April. But he received another push toward the field early this summer when he visited Dr. James Andrews in Florida for a checkup.

"He said: 'The MRI looked great. Your shoulder looks like you're 30. You should go pitch — just kidding,'" Clemens said Andrews told him.

It was then that he started thinking he could actually play for the Skeeters. After throwing for the team on Monday, where his fastball was clocked at 87, the multimillionaire got himself a new gig.

"We're going to have fun with this and see if I can get through a few innings without Gary having to go to the bullpen, and we'll see where it goes from there," Clemens said.

Smith takes issue with those who think this is simply a media stunt. He said that the Skeeters regularly sell out Saturday night games and that there were only 500 tickets available for this Saturday's game before Clemens was signed.

"I can understand why he's doing it," Smith said. "He loves baseball. He love the competition. Baseball has been his life and there's no reason he shouldn't try to continue it. If he's successful it just adds to his legend, and if he's not, it was fun."

Well, he's back.

Just when we thought we were rid of the Rocket, he turns up again. In the Atlantic League, of all places.

At age 50.

Roger Clemens just won't go away; he's just fast enough to escape our repeated swats, a survivor above all else. Age didn't stop him from repeatedly retiring and coming back over and over again, a Brett Favre in pinstripes.

Ugly allegations of doping and infidelity failed to slow Clemens down. He even spanked the feds, walking out of the courtroom a free man after being acquitted on all charges that he lied to Congress when he denied ever using performance-enhancing substances.

It was the biggest win of his career.

It should've been enough.

But, no.

On Saturday night, Clemens will start for an independent minor league team in suburban Houston known as the Sugar Land Skeeters, almost five years after he last pitched in the big leagues and with a date on his birth certificate that qualifies him to be a full member of AARP. If this was anyone else, we'd dismiss it as nothing more than a ludicrous stunt. But this is the Rocket, a man whose competitive fire — fueled with a healthy dose of narcissism — leads us to believe anything is possible.

"If I get through Saturday," he said, "we'll see where we go from there."

We hope it leads to going away.

There's nothing feel-good about this comeback story. We've seen it so many times, it's coming across like another tired sequel in the "Twilight Saga." Nine long years ago, Clemens first announced his retirement while pitching for the New York Yankees. He was toasted at stadiums around baseball, soaked up all the cheers, even received a standing ovation from the opponent when he left the field for what everyone thought was the final time in the World Series.

Turns out, he was just getting warmed up.

Clemens came out of retirement a few months later, but his motives seemed genuine. He had a chance to pitch in his adopted hometown of Houston, alongside close friend Andy Pettitte. We cheered.

Then, the following year, Clemens put off retirement again and asked for a whopping $22 million in arbitration. Hmmm. After one of the best seasons of his career, he finally seemed ready to put away his cleats. Uhh, no. Another comeback, this time for a prorated season with the Astros and another hefty paycheck. But wait, there's more.

Showing he had absolutely no scruples, Clemens turned up in the owner's box at Yankee Stadium and signed on for one more partial season in New York.

All along the way, he played the diva role better than Mariah Carey, demanding and getting all sorts of special perks. When his supposed team went on the road, he got to stay at home if it wasn't his turn to pitch. Other players grumbled, realizing Clemens was all in, but only for himself.

We may have marveled at his age-defying skills, but he always seemed like the last guy you'd want to invite over for dinner — surly and detached. A fraud who once complained about having to carry his own bags. An egomaniac whose kids all have names beginning with the letter K, as in strikeout.

What happened over the last five years forever doused the Rocket's sizzle for many of us.

He had a starring role in the Mitchell Report, the investigation of steroid use in baseball. He went before Congress to vehemently deny ever being involved in that sort of chicanery, though it sure seemed to explain how he was just as overpowering — if not more so — in his 40s as he had been in his 20s. Unrelated, there were also allegations of a long-term affair with troubled country singer Mindy McCready that began when she was in her teens, further sullying a player who always portrayed himself as a family man.

In fairness to Clemens, marital infidelity is hardly unique and he never tested positive for performance enhancers. His main accuser was about as credible as Pee Wee Herman starring in "The Sopranos," which is surely why the jury delivered its verdict — not guilty, on all counts. That's also why, in keeping with the American tradition of jurisprudence, we must refrain from lumping Clemens in with all the other admitted dopers from one of baseball's darkest eras. (And, just in case you were wondering, the Atlantic League has the same drug-testing procedures and penalties as the affiliated minor leagues, according to Joe Klein, the executive director.)

That said, we have no desire to see Clemens don another big league uniform, which is surely what this is all about. He tries to downplay this latest comeback as nothing more than a one-off, a chance to bring a little cheer to his Houston-area fans, but we're not fooled. There will surely be big league scouts in the stands Saturday night, eager to see if the Rocket has anything left in that right arm. Even if it's just enough to pitch an inning or two at a time, there would likely be a contending team with contract in hand, ready to feed his ego and sign him up for a playoff run.

"If you're going to go and play, the one thing on his mind is trying to get back to the major leagues," said Tony DeFrancesco, interim manager of the Houston Astros.

Clemens repeatedly shrugged off that sort of talk.

"I'm nowhere near where I need to be to compete the way I want," he insisted. "We just want to have some fun."

Cynically, we wonder if Clemens has other motives for going back to the mound. He's eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot this winter, but there are surely plenty of voters unwilling to put a check beside his name, innocent verdict or not. If he's turned down once, it might be easier to keep voting him down, as is the case with Mark McGwire.

But, if Clemens makes it back to the big leagues, the five-year window for Cooperstown eligibility starts over. Maybe some of the hard feelings will have softened by 2017 or 2018, especially if Clemens has tacked on one more comeback, the most improbable one of all, to his resume.

It's all too much to take.

Please, Roger, go away.

This time for good.

Paul Newberry is a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rangers starting pitcher Scott Feldman worked out of a rough stretch in May and June when he lost six straight by reeling off six consecutive victories.

After a 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday in which he gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings, he's now dropped three in a row.

No reason to panic, his manager said, even after the Rangers' right-hander gave up two big run-scoring hits with two outs, including Nate McLouth's two-run home run, in the Orioles' decisive four-run fifth inning.

Manny Machado had a run-scoring triple and J.J. Hardy's two-out double plated another run for Baltimore in the inning, which was followed with two shutdown innings by Chris Tillman (6-2).

"I think if there's any pitch he'd want to take back in that inning, it would be the one to McLouth," manager Ron Washington said. "But other than that, there was no indication they were going to put four runs on the board, because both he and Tillman were pitching very well."

Tillman worked 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out seven before giving way to the bullpen, which now has a 1.57 ERA in the last 18 games.

The Orioles' right-hander kept Rangers hitters off-balance with effective off-speed pitches and good command of his fastball.

That follows a performance two years ago in which Tillman held the Rangers to two runs on two hits and a walk over a career-high 7 1/3 innings.

Tillman has held the Rangers to a .203 average in three starts.

"It ain't easy," said Tillman, who improved to 6-2 on the season with a 3.71 ERA and 4-1 on the road.

"These guys have a great lineup and you have to respect that whether you're ahead or behind."

Jim Johnson worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his 38th save.

"Chris was good," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He had command of the breaking ball early, and threw the fastball on both sides of the plate."

The Rangers scored two on Geovany Soto's two-run homer in the seventh inning to close a 5-1 deficit to two and then put the tying run on base, but Pedro Strop struck out Josh Hamilton on a slider to end the threat.

David Murphy, 10 for 19 with a homer and three doubles and six RBI in his previous five games, went 1 for 4 on Tuesday, including a groundout with a runner on base to end the Rangers' half of the eighth.

"Pedy got a couple of big outs for us," Showalter said. The bullpen "has been a constant for us. We've been able to share the load and pass it around.

"We've got a lot of people we have confidence in."

Feldman struck out four and walked one while ending a string of good performances by Rangers pitching, which entered Tuesday having allowed two runs or less in three consecutive games and just four total in the three-game winning streak.

The starting rotation had posted a 2.96 ERA in the previous seven games.

"I thought he made a real good pitch to Hardy and he went down and poked it to right field," Washington said. "That's a part of baseball, I think Scott has been throwing the ball really well. That's just the way it went tonight."

The AL West-division leading Rangers lost a game to Los Angeles in the standings and lead the Angels by eight games. Oakland, which started the evening six back, were playing late at home against Minnesota.

The Orioles broke loose for four runs in the fifth. Machado's triple scored Omar Quintanilla and McLouth sent a Feldman pitch into the left-field seats for a two-run home run that made the score 5-1.

"All you're trying to do in that situation is limit the damage," Feldman said. "Even after giving up that hit to Hardy, we're still in the game. I just made a bad pitch to McLouth."

The Rangers' Ian Kinsler hit his 14th home run of the season to tie the game in the third on a 1-0 pitch.

Orioles took a first-inning lead by scoring an unearned run with two outs.

McLouth walked, stole second and advanced to third on an error when Geovany Soto's throw sailed into center field. He scored on Feldman's wild pitch.

Notes: Entering the game, three of the top 22 qualifiers in ERA as relievers in the AL were Orioles. Pedro Strop (2nd, 1.49), Darren O'Day (17th, 2.49) and Troy Patton (22nd, 2.58). . The Rangers' Adrian Beltre, hitting .235 in his previous 30 games, went 2 for 4 on Tuesday. . The Orioles have won 12 consecutive one-run games. The franchise has done that on three other occasions, 1964, 1970 and 1979. Baltimore went to the World Series in 1970 and '79 and won 97 games and finished two games back of eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in '64. . Rangers reliever Michael Kirkman extended a scoreless innings streak to seven in his last six games after holding the Orioles to no runs in two innings. Kirkman also has stranded 11 of the last 13 inherited runners, including three in a game three times.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A large contingent of family and friends waited outside the visitor's clubhouse for Lucas Harrell. After getting knocked around, the Houston Astros rookie pitcher wasn't all that anxious to see everyone.

Harrell allowed hits to six of the first seven batters in a four-run first inning that was plenty of cushion for Adam Wainwright, who threw a five-hitter and matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-0 victory on Tuesday night.

"I feel like I let a lot of people down," Harrell said after giving up six runs in five innings. "That's definitely not my best and I can't wait to come back here and have a better outing.

"Frustrating, disappointing — all those things come into play," he said.

Harrell (10-9) is from Springfield, Mo., where he led Ozark Mo. High School to the 2004 Missouri state championship,  and spent two days there before his start, visiting family and friends at home. His mother drove him to St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon, arriving about 4 1-2 hours before the first pitch.

"He looked like he was a little fired up," interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "I know he had a big group out there and you always want to impress the people you love.

"Unfortunately, he was a little too anxious early," DeFrancesco added.

Skip Schumaker and Yadier Molina had two RBIs apiece for the Cardinals, who capitalized on a pair of walks to open a two-run third. Molina had three hits and Jon Jay had three hits and an RBI.

Harrell said second baseman Jose Altuve was shaded toward the bag on the Schumaker at-bat, and couldn't quite stop a grounder into right that Harrell had thought might have been a double-play ball.

"They got a lot of weak contact," Harrell said. "I felt like they hit two balls hard all game. It was just kind of a tough one."

Wainwright threw his second shutout and third complete game of the season. Two of the complete games have come during a string of six consecutive victories at home with a 1.42 ERA. He pitched a five-hitter on Aug. 4, a 6-1 victory over the Brewers.

Wainwright is 12-1 with a 1.58 ERA for his career against Houston. The Astros got two-out hits in the ninth from Justin Maxwell and Jason Castro in a bid to spoil the shutout before Wainwright fanned Ben Francisco on his 105th pitch.

The Astros have been outscored 15-1 in two games under DeFrancesco, who held a team meeting prior to the game in an effort to lift the stripped-down franchise out of the doldrums. Houston is just 7-41 since June 28.

"It's kind of like you get beat down and the big guy keeps hitting you," DeFrancesco said before the game. "To bounce back in this game is difficult when you have young players that have limited time in the major leagues.

"The media, the lights, the crowd — that stuff as a coach in the minor leagues you really can't teach that until you get into this place and feel it for the first time," he added.

Tyler Greene, a former Cardinals first-round pick dealt to Houston earlier this year for a player to be named, struck out twice and grounded out in his first game in St. Louis as a visitor.

Harrell (10-9) had allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last seven starts, but balked home the first run and got a visit from pitching coach Doug Brocail after facing just five hitters. The right-hander retired just five of the first 15 batters before settling down, allowing a walk and sacrifice fly the last 10 hitters.

"My last two innings I got back to really making good pitches and keeping the ball down and getting outs," Harrell said. "That's what I can take away from this one."

The day after their 6-3, 19-inning loss to the Pirates — the longest game in the majors this season — manager Mike Matheny led a delegation to help rebuild tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo., and other Cardinals played charity golf.

Jay doubled to start the bottom of the first, and with one out St. Louis got five straight singles from Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, David Freese, Molina and Schumaker. Craig and Freese walked to start the third, Molina followed with an RBI single and Rafael Furcal added a sacrifice fly.

The Astros were shut out for the 12th time.

NOTES: Bud Norris (5-10, 5.23) is 7-3 for his career against the Cardinals heading into Wednesday night's start against Kyle Lohse (12-2, 2.61). ... Carlos Beltran, 4 for 23 on the homestand and bothered by a right hand injury, missed his second start in three games but is not expected to be out long. ... The Cardinals are 56-14 when scoring more than three runs. ... Craig had a single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and also walked three times. ... Craig is 10 for 23 (.435) against Houston this season and 21-48 for his career with five homers and 17 RBIs.