Clemens Handles Tigers, 5-2

BOSTON--The new season looked just like the old one at Fenway Park: Wade Boggs got three hits. Roger Clemens won and the Detroit Tigers lost.

Opening day, delayed for only the second time in history, finally came and the Boston Red Sox began in style, beating Detroit, 5-2, Monday in the first game of the year.

Boggs got the first hit of the season and finished 3-for-4 with a walk. His leadoff single in the first inning helped set up Dwight Evans' three-run double off Jack Morris, and Bogs singled home a run in the second.

Clemens held the Tigers hitless until Tony Philips singled to start the sixth inning, and allowed three hits, struck out five and walked two. He retired the first two batters in the seventh and then left the game after throwing 101 pitches.

Rob Murphy pitched two innings and Lee Smith relieved with two outs and two on in the ninth. Phillips got an infield hit that loaded the bases but Trammell, who homered off Smith to win the 1988 opener at Fenway, struck out to end the game.

Morris, who pitched a total of seven innings in the lockout-abbreviated spring training, gave up five runs on seven hits in six and two-thirds innings. He struck out three and walked three in his 11th consecutive opening day start.

The Red Sox won their opener for the first time in five years as Detroit, which led the majors with 103 losses last season, lost again. Both teams made two errors, continuing baseball's pattern of sloppy play this spring.

Boggs, a five-time batting champion, reached the 1600-hit mark at the start of his ninth season. Boggs and Marty Barrett led off the first with singles and with one out, Ellis Burks was saved when first baseman Cecil Fielder dropped a foul popup for an error. Afer Burks walked, Evans doubled over center fielder Lloyd Moseby to the 420-foot mark.

Kevin Romine doubled in the second and scored on Boggs' single. Morris allowed just one more hit until Boggs opened the seventh with a double and Chet Lemon's error on Burks' fly ball allowed Boggs to score.

Phillips began the sixth by grounding a 1-2 pitch through the middle for Detroit's first hit. Trammell doubled, Lou Whitaker hit a sacrifice fly and Moseby hit an RBI single with two outs.

THE NOTEBOOK:After the monthlong lockout delayed openers by a week, the start of the season was pushed back an extra 18 minutes because of pregame festivities. Toni Giamatti, widow of former commissioner Bart Giamatti, threw out the ceremonial first ball.

In 1972, the start of the major league season was delayed for the first time because of a 13-day players' strike.

Red Sox, 5-2 at Fenway Park Detroit Name  AB  R  H  BI Phillips.3b  5  1  2  0 Tramm'l,ss  5  1  1  0 Whitak'r,2b  3  0  0  1 Fielder,1b  2  0  0  0 Moseby,cf  3  0  1  1 Nokes,c  3  0  0  0 TJones,ph  1  0  0  0 GWard,lf  4  0  1  0 Lemon,rf  4  0  0  0 Bergm'n,dh  2  0  0  0 Willi'ms,dh  1  0  0  0 Total  33  2  5  2 Boston Name  AB  R  H  BI Boggs,3b  4  2  3  1 Barrett,2b   4  1  1  0 Greenw'l,If  3  0  0  0 Burks,of  3  1  0  0 Evans,dh  4  0  1  3 Robid'x,lb  4  0  0  0 Pena,c  4  0  1  0 Reed,ss  4  0  0  0 Romine,rf  3  1  2  0 Total    33  5  8  4   1  2  3  4  5  6  7   8  9  R  H  E Detroit  0  0  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  2  5  2 Boston  3  1  0  0  0  0< Tab>1  0  2  5  8  2

Errors--Fielder. Reed 2. Lemon. LOB--Detroit 9. Boston 8. 2B--Trammell. Evans. Romine 2. Boggs SF--Whitaker. Detroit  IP  H  R  ER  BB  K< /B> Morris  (L,0-1  6-7  7  5  2  3< Tab>3 Nunez  1  1  0  0  1  0 Gibson  0.3  0  0  0    0 Boston  IP  H  R  ER  BB  K B> Clemens (W,1-0)  6-7  3  2  2  2  5 Murphy  2  1  0  0  2  0 LeSmith  2  1  0  0  0  1

Attendance--35,199

Time--2:47