Yankees 9

Angels 2

ANAHEIM – In the middle of yesterday morning, Roger Clemens was sprawled on the floor of the health club at the Yankees’ hotel stretching his thick body in preparation for a start against the Angels in nine hours.

It’s part of Clemens’ daily routine on game day, and he adheres to it religiously. Other pitchers sleep in, sleep it off, walk the mall or say so long to last night’s date. Different programs for different hurlers.

By now it’s very clear that Clemens’ program works for the Hall of Fame lock, who posted career win No. 297 last night when he dominated the Angels, 9-2, as the Yankees pounded out 18 hits in front of 38,340 at Edison Field. Clemens is three away from the magic 300. Early Wynn and Lefty Grove are tied for 19th on the all-time win list with 300.

How is this for a delicious scenario: Clemens bags No. 300 in Boston on May 20? That’s four starts from now, so it’s not that far-fetched. Maybe Clemens can leave former Bosox GM Dan Duquette on his pass list.

Clemens, 4-0, allowed two earned runs and six hits in eight innings. He is 28-8 against the Angels; 13-4 at Edison.

It was the Yankees’ seventh straight victory, hiked their record to a franchise-best 18-3, improved their lead over the second-place Red Sox to four games and continued to remind people that this club could be more dominant than the 1998 pinstripers.

Yankee starters are 16-0. That’s the longest streak to start a season since 1900.

Jason Giambi was hit between the left elbow and wrist in the seventh and was replaced at first base in the home eighth by Todd Zeile.

While the focus is on Clemens every time he takes the mound, there are plenty of other Yankee faces to highlight these days.

Talking to Dodger legend Sandy Koufax yesterday, Joe Torre listened to the Hall of Fame lefty speak about how impressed he was with Alfonso Soriano’s swing.

“I don’t think I have ever seen quicker hands,” Koufax told Torre.

Those lightening wrists produced a leadoff homer and three singles. Jorge Posada clubbed a two-run homer for the second straight game and went 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Raul Mondesi added a two-run dinger.

So much of the Angels’ success last year stemmed from them not beating themselves. Last night in the fifth inning they committed suicide when Callaway dropped an easy toss from first baseman Scott Spiezio for what would have been the final out.

Raul Mondesi made it hurt when he crushed a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence for two unearned runs and a 6-0 lead.

It was Mondesi’s sixth homer. Erick Almonte continued the beating with a double to center and, after Callaway walked Soriano intentionally, antique lefty Rich Rodriguez was summoned to face Nick Johnson. The 40-year-old Rodriguez, a Met in 2000, fanned Johnson.

Batting practice continued when the game began for the Yankees who used homers by Soriano and Posada in the first three innings to present Clemens with a 4-0 lead.

Soriano clubbed a 1-2 pitch from Callaway over the left-field wall leading off the game for his eighth homer. It was the third tim this year and 11th time in his career Soriano started the tilt with a blast.

Johnson followed with a liner over Eric Owens’ head in center and, after Giambi lined to left, Johnson scored on Bernie Williams’ single to center for a 2-0 lead.

Williams drew a leadoff walk in the third and scored when Posada launched a 2-2 hanging curveball into the center-field seats for his seventh homer.