Clement hurls Stars out of losing streak

Friday, June 12, 1998 | 9:02 a.m.

SALT LAKE CITY --- Thursday night's game between the Las Vegas Stars and the Salt Lake Buzz started one hour and 40 minutes late thanks to thunderstorms in the Salt Lake City area.

For the struggling Stars and ace right-hander Matt Clement, it was well worth the wait.

Clement, the top pitching prospect in the San Diego's Padres organization, struck out a season-high 13 batters in just seven innings on the mound and the Stars' slumbering offense finally woke up with four home runs in an 8-3 victory at Franklin Quest Stadium.

Third baseman George Arias hit two homers and drove in four runs for the Stars while leftfielder Dusty Allen and catcher Creighton Gubanich each belted solo homers as Las Vegas (29-29) snapped its five-game losing streak while at the same time ending Salt Lake's team record seven-game win streak.

Clement (6-5) struck out the side in both the second and fifth innings. He allowed just four hits, including a first inning solo homer by Buzz first baseman Scott Stahoviak, and three earned runs. He walked just one.

The pitchers for the two teams combined for 28 strikeouts, just one off the Pacific Coast League record of 29.

Stahoviak's homer, the first by a left-handed batter against Clement this year, gave Salt Lake a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

But Las Vegas came back to tie it in the second on Arias' solo shot to left. The Stars then went ahead, 3-1, in the fifth on Dave Hajek's RBI double and an RBI single by right-fielder Greg LaRocca and increased their lead to 4-1 an inning later on Allen's line drive home run to right.

The Stars then broke the game open with a four-run seventh highlight by Arias' three-run home run down the left field line.

Arias now has 16 homers and 53 RBIs after just 58 games. The team single-season record for home runs is 32 by Kevin McReynolds in 1983.

The two teams are scheduled to conclude their four-game series tonight although weather forecasts call for a 70-percent chance of rain.