If it seems strange the Clippers are in first place despite committing more errors recently than a first-year accounting student, it only gets weirder when you consider that their stopper is the youngest player on the team.

 

With their 4-0 victory over Rochester yesterday before 3,332 in Cooper Stadium, the Clippers improved to 10-2 in starts by 23-yearold Brad Halsey. The left-hander threw a complete-game shutout and halted the team’s ugly three-game losing streak.

 

"That was a beautiful thing to watch," manager Bucky Dent said. "He was in total command."

 

It marked the fifth time the Clippers have ended a losing streak behind Halsey (6-2), although he earned victories in only two of those games because of poor run support.

 

Yesterday he got four runs, which was plenty. He allowed only two hits and struck out six.

 

The Clippers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a Felix Escalona RBI double and a Caonabo Cosme two-run single. Since a redhot April in which he hit .364 with 14 RBI, Cosme has cooled considerably in May and June (.170 batting average, 11 RBI in 30 games).

 

"It was a relief," Cosme said. "Things haven’t been going my way lately, and that single made me feel a lot better."

 

The Clippers were feeling better about themselves defensively, too. They committed 10 errors the previous two games and 14 during a six-game home losing streak. But they twice doubled up Red Wings slugger Justin Morneau, and Cosme robbed Alex Prieto of a hit deep behind second base in the eighth.

 

Halsey, who extended his scoreless streak to 24 1/3 innings, praised the team’s defense.

 

"With the scoreless-innings streak I have right now, a lot of that depends on my defense doing a great job behind me," Halsey said. "As a pitcher you always want to work quick, and your defense will appreciate it. They’ll play better if you’re working fast and throwing strikes. That was evident today with the play Comse made and a few other plays."

 

Sal Fasano added the fourth run with a homer in the seventh, but Halsey didn’t need the help. He improved to 5-1 with a 0.64 ERA in his last six starts.

 

"Halsey is just amazing," Cosme said. "His stuff is good, he has great tempo and he doesn’t miss many spots. He’s young but he doesn’t show it."

Halsey also showed no signs of fatigue, which is why Dent let him go the distance.

 

"With a young arm like that, we don’t want to push him too far," Dent said.

 

"But he said he felt good, and that was a good sign.

 

"We really needed a game like this after getting beat up a little bit the last three days."