Clement: mind over muscle

With his starts pushed back recently, Matt Clement figures, ``I think I'm being smart about it for once in my life."

The cramping Clement has felt in his right biceps has gradually decreased, but not enough for him to make what was his scheduled start in the second game of yesterday's doubleheader at Fenway against the Rangers. Instead, he had a side session in the bullpen, and afterward said he's ready to start Wednesday in Minnesota.

Clement first felt the spasms, which he referred to as a ``dead arm", at the end of his 3 1/3-inning start in Toronto May 29. He was able to work vigorously on his mechanics and pitched well over six innings in an 8-3 win at Detroit June 4. But the cramping started again after that start.

``A lot of it is rest," Clement said. ``I've thrown and the last two days I've seen a big improvement. I think we all thought it would be better to have a few extra days rather than risking the chance of having a setback during a start and then have to start back from Square One."

Give Clement credit because missing starts is costly to him. He's well compensated at $9.5 million this season, but his contract also has a $25,000 incentive clause for starts Nos. 30-34 (he's made 11 this season). He also has a $50,000 incentive clause for pitching 200 innings (he's thrown 60 2/3) and gets $50,000 more for every 10 innings thereafter up to 230 innings.

``I'm usually bullheaded and try to pitch through it," Clement said. ``But this time I just felt I needed to take care of this.

``When I rotate backwards sometimes it cramps up and the last two days it's been a lot, lot better. I'm excited and relieved because when you feel something like that and you're having issues with your shoulder, that's the one thing I worry about. If it's a knee, ankle, leg, anything else I don't really worry about because I know I can get through it."

Clement said going on the disabled list had been discussed, but isn't a viable option unless he has a setback before his start.

The Sox optioned David Pauley, yesterday's Game 2 starter, to Pawtucket and will activate Mike Timlin tomorrow when they start a three-game series in Minnesota. Timlin threw 24 pitches in a simulated game in Pawtucket and declared himself fit to get back in the mix. Pauley, who allowed six runs on 12 hits and a walk over five-plus innings, hopes to return soon. ``I saw what it takes to stay here," he said. ``I have to go down and work on some things so that I can get back here." . . . Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace returned to the hospital for more tests after experiencing swelling in his leg following hip replacement surgery June 1. Dr. Thomas Gill said the tests results were favorable and Wallace should be fine . . . Mike Lowell seems to be working through a hamstring problem without having to miss any time. He went 0 for 4 in Game 1, including a warning-track fly out to right-center, then went 2 for 5 with an RBI double in Game 2 . . . Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 13 as a pinch hitter before his RBI single in the sixth inning of Game 2. Youkilis stayed in to play left field in place of Willie Harris, who was filling in for the red-hot Manny Ramírez.

The Sox passed the 1 million mark (1,015,142) in attendance in their 28th home date, the fastest they've reached a million in team history . . . Gabe Kapler went 2 for 4 with two doubles and a run in Portland's 2-1 victory over Erie, which extended the Sea Dogs' winning streak to nine games. Portland starter Phil Seibel threw five scoreless innings to give him 22 1/3 in a row, a franchise record . . . The Sox have played 10 straight games against first-place teams and went 5-5 Detroit (2-1), New York (1-2), and Texas (2-2) . . . The Sox allowed the Rangers 22 hits in the second game, their most given up since Sept. 22, 1999 in a 14-9 loss to Toronto . . . Coco Crisp is hitting .324 (11 for 34) over his seven-game hitting streak . . . Keith Foulke keeps getting heckled by the same fan in the third row behind the dugout. Foulke said it doesn't bother him and he's tried to ignore the heckler . . . Other than a thick crowd outside Fenway between games of the doubleheader, the Sox' staff managed to get fans in and out of the ballpark pretty fast. The gates were supposed to open for the second game at 4:15 p.m., but because of the 3-hour-25-minute first game, they didn't open until 4:30 for the 5 o'clock start . . . After the Hartford Courant's Dave Heuschkel misplayed a foul ball in the press box, Sox owner John W. Henry sent him a small rubber ball inscribed ``To Almost Sure-handed Dave, Fenway Park 6/11/06."