CHICAGO – Dusty Baker fulfilled his mission.

Hired to help the Cubs forget their losing ways, the first-year manager guided Chicago to its first division title in 14 years with a doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2 and 7-2 Saturday.

Sammy Sosa hit his 40th homer and Matt Clement pitched 7 2-3 strong innings as the Cubs earned their first division championship since Don Zimmer led to the NL East crown in 1989.

The Cubs are in the postseason for the first time since 1998 when they beat Baker and the San Francisco Giants in a one-game playoff for the NL wild card.

Clemens wins final regular-season start

NEW YORK – Roger Clemens walked off a winner in the final regular-season start of his storied career, leading the New York Yankees to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rocket earned his 310th victory and Juan Rivera homered twice for the Yankees, who reached 100 wins for the second straight year and the 17th time in their history.

Clemens (17-9), who plans to retire after the season, will pitch Game 3 of that series next Saturday at the Metrodome.

Baseball’s only six-time Cy Young Award winner made the most of the moment, going six innings in a solid tuneup for October.

Clemens, 41, got a standing ovation as he walked in from the bullpen before the game, and didn’t disappoint the crowd of 42,702. He’s become a fan favorite in the Bronx after beginning his career with 13 stellar seasons for the rival Red Sox.

He spent the next two in Toronto, then the last five with the Yankees, winning two World Series rings.

After giving up two runs and three hits – all in the second inning – he went out to the mound before the seventh. Then manager Joe Torre lifted Clemens so he could walk off to a thunderous ovation.

Flashbulbs popped all over the ballpark and Elton John’s “Rocket Man” played on the loudspeakers as Clemens pointed to the crowd and touched his heart.

He came out of the dugout for a curtain call, tipped his cap and gestured toward the Baltimore dugout, where the Orioles were all clapping.

Clemens finished one win behind former teammate Tom Seaver, who is 16th on the career list. The Rocket ended up 310-160 with a 3.19 ERA.

Clemens struck out three to give him 4,099 in his 20-year career, third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136).

Jose Contreras pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Felix Heredia finished it for Clemens.

The Orioles went ahead in the second inning on Deivi Cruz’s sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI single by Brook Fordyce.

Alfonso Soriano’s two-run single off Jason Johnson (10-10) tied it in the second. With the runners going on the pitch, Rivera scored from first on a liner to right-center.

Rivera lined a three-run shot over the left-field fence in the fourth for a 5-2 lead. He added a solo shot in the eighth for his seventh of the season – and fifth in his past five starts.

Rivera set career highs by going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. It was his first multihomer game.

Notes: Clemens improved to 22-12 lifetime against Baltimore. … Soriano stole his 35th base, making him just the third major league player to have consecutive seasons with 35 homers and 35 steals. Willie Mays (1956-57) and Barry Bonds (1996-97) are the others. … The Yankees activated David Dellucci from the disabled list, but Torre doesn’t expect to include the outfielder on the first-round playoff roster. Dellucci had been out since Aug. 28 with a sprained left ankle. … Derek Jeter went 3-for-4. … Johnson is 0-5 in nine starts since beating Boston on Aug. 10.

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tility has been well-documented – no World Series appearances since 1945 and no World Series championships since 1908.

“You have to think about leaving whatever has happened bad in the past,” Baker said on the day he was introduced as manager.

“You can’t bring it forward with you. It’s a new time, a new day, a new era, starting over from zero.”

Behind a young pitching staff headed by Prior and Kerry Wood, the Cubs went to the top of their division.

In the first game, Prior (18-6) allowed seven hits and two runs, striking out 10 and improving his record to 10-1 since coming off the disabled list Aug. 4.

Prior wasn’t watching the scoreboard, but the crowd certainly was all during the first game.

They let out a collective cheer when the Brewers’ early edge was posted on the old scoreboard in center field. The roar got even louder when Milwaukee increased the lead, and then it became deafening when the final score was shown while the Pirates batted in the eighth.

The Cubs overcame their share of distractions and injuries along the way. Sosa was suspended for seven games for using a corked bat and also went to the disabled list after surgery to remove a bad toenail. He also survived an early-season beaning and regrouped to reach 100 RBIs for a ninth straight year.

The Cubs also lost center fielder Corey Patterson, who was having breakout season, to a knee injury in July.

But general manager Jim Hendry went to work and the Pirates played a huge role, making two trades with Chicago that produced one-third of the Cubs’ starting lineup down the stretch – center fielder Kenny Lofton, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and first baseman Randall Simon.

Baker had plenty of support before Saturday’s doubleheader even began.

His son, Darren, who served as a batboy for the Giants last season, told him Friday night after the Astros lost to the Brewers that good things were ahead.

“My little boy said, “Yeah daddy, Houston is going to lose. I told you. You are going to win tomorrow,”‘ Baker said.

Notes: Ryan Vogelsong (2-2) lasted just 1 1-3 innings, giving up six hits and five runs in the second game. … Clement made his sixth start of the season against the Pirates and finished 2-2 against them. … Lofton made a great over-the-head, basket catch – ala Willie Mays – on Jason Bay’s drive in the fourth.

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