BRADENTON, Fla. - Roger Clemens admitted he was nervous when he took the mound for his first spring start for hometown team.

Clemens, who ended a brief retirement to pitch a 21st season, gave up two runs and five hits in two innings in a 15-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"I tried to get it under way, walk out to the mound and say, 'Here we go again,'" Clemens said. "It's kind of a surreal feeling where I can't believe I'm walking out to the mound again and getting ready for a long season."

Clemens (1-0) struck out one, walked none and threw 39 pitches, one shy of his allotment. He got the win when the Astros scored five runs off Kip Wells in the third inning to take a 6-2 lead. Jason Lane and Jason Alfaro hit three-run homers for the Astros, and Lance Berkman drove in two runs.

Carlos Rivera was 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI for the Pirates. Abraham Nunez, who had two hits against Clemens, and Jose Castillo were 3-for-3. Craig Wilson and Raul Mondesi hit back-to-back homers in the third.

The first five batters reached safely against Clemens and one of the two runs that scored in the inning was unearned because of Alfaro's error at third. Clemens threw a wild pitch to bring in the first run. The second scored on Rivera's RBI single. In the second inning, he had to work out of a two-on, one-out jam.

Clemens also helped himself out by picking Nunez off first base after giving up a leadoff single in the first.

"I did a few things right," Clemens said. "My location was pretty decent. I'm just trying to find out how much movement I've got and throw enough breaking balls to get that soreness in my elbow. The conditioning I did prior to my pitching made it feel like I was in the fourth or fifth inning."

Astros manager Jimy Williams didn't have high expectations for the 310-game winner and six-time Cy Young winner.

"He looked fine out there," Williams said. "His results were pretty darn good. He pitched better in the second inning. I thought he threw the ball good."

Clemens didn't come out of retirement and sign with the Astros until Jan. 12, but he doesn't think he's behind the other pitchers in camp.

"I don't feel like I have to play catch-up now," he said. "I'll continue to work each time out and gain a little arm strength."

Nunez had singles off Clemens in the first and second innings.

"If felt good to do it, especially against a guy like him," Nunez said. "He's a future Hall of Famer. Even though he's 41, he's still one of the good ones. He might not have had his best stuff, but he's still a competitive guy. I know the next time we face him, he'll be a little tougher."