BRADENTON, Fla., March 21 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates waited out a rain delay to score the go-ahead runs against Roger Clemens Friday en route to a 6-4 victory over the New York Yankees.
Clemens, who has dropped all three of his decisions this spring, was superlative through the first two innings. He retired the side in the first on ground balls to second baseman Alfonso Soriano and on strikeouts in the second.
After John Flaherty gave New York a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the second, Pittsburgh's Jack Wilson led off the third with a double and Poke Reese followed with a two-run home run to tie the game.
Clemens got the first out of the inning with a strikeout, but the game was delayed for an hour due to rain in the area.
When play resumed, Clemens pitched a scoreless fourth but surrendered Craig Wilson's two-run double and Kenny Lofton's RBI single in the fifth.
Jack Wilson capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning.
Clemens struck out six and walked none but gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Pirates starter Kris Benson allowed two runs and three hits, struck out two and walked one in three innings. After Matt Herges recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless fourth, Brian Meadows pitched two perfect innings to earn the win.
