Kody Clemens hitless in MLB debut as dad looks on
DETROIT » Jonathan Schoop homered and drove in four runs as the Detroit Tigers, with Kody Clemens making his major league debut while his famous father watched from a suite, beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0 Tuesday night to split a doubleheader.
Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens saw his 26-year-old son go 0 for 3, striking out twice and drawing a walk. Flawless in the field at second base, Kody Clemens handled a grounder for the final out of the game.
In the second game, Schoop hit a two-run homer in the first inning and added a two-run single off second baseman Jorge Polanco’s glove.
Tigers starter Joey Wentz, making his second major league appearance, allowed just one hit in four innings, but left with a shoulder strain while pitching to the first batter of the fifth inning.
Reliever Wily Peralta (2-0) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Five Tigers pitchers combined on the three-hit shutout.
Roger Clemens flew into town from Texas to see his son Kody make his major league debut.
A third-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft, Kody Clemens was hitting .283 at Toledo with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 45 games. Drafted as a second baseman, he has played first, second, third and in left field this season.
“I’m just really happy for him — he’s worked really hard to get here and it has finally happened for him,” the 59-year-old Clemens said. “We got everyone into scramble mode yesterday to get up here.”
Clemens went 11-8 in 26 career starts against the Tigers in Detroit, but has a few special memories.
“This is like a second home to me, because I had an aunt who lived here, and I always stayed in her basement when we were here instead of the team hotel,”
he said. “And I went for my 300th (win) here, and of course, down the road (at Tiger Stadium), I had my 20-strikeout game.”
Kody Clemens wore No. 21, one of the numbers his father wore. He also wore No. 22 with the Yankees and the Astros.
Roger Clemens pitched 18 minor-league games before sticking in the big leagues. Kody has played 325.
“We’ve had very different experiences,
but we discussed the same thing we always talk about — if you are going to be in the major leagues, you might as well win,” Clemens said. “Find a way to do it.”
Roger Clemens knew how to do that. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner posted a 354-184 record with the the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Astros and Yankees. The 11time All Star was a member of two World Series champions.