AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Cone Makes Brett Homer Count, 3-0

After watching his team get only one hit in each of his two previous starts, David Cone was determined to make George Brett’s solo home run stand up.

Eight innings later, he had. Cone’s first shutout in more than a year led Kansas City to a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in sweltering heat and humidity Friday night at Kansas City.

“It was nice to have some runs to work with,” said Cone (7-10), whose offensive support of 2.6 runs per game is the lowest in the major leagues. “I’ve tried to keep all that out of my mind. I look at it like this, I’m pretty fortunate to squeeze seven wins out of the support I’ve received. It’s been a real challenge.”

Cone, recording the Royals’ first complete-game shutout of the season, scattered five hits while striking out five and walking one in what Manager Hal McRae hoped might be a pivotal outing.

“The way he pitched tonight might turn his season around,” said McRae. “He kept his composure, maintained his stuff, completed the ballgame. I think tonight might be the night he turns it all around and pitches like we know David Cone can pitch. And he hasn’t pitched bad.”

Chicago 6, Seattle 4--Lance Johnson’s major league-leading 11th triple drove home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Steve Sax had four hits and scored twice to lead the White Sox at Seattle.

Robin Ventura opened the 10th with a double to the gap in right-center against Rich DeLucia (3-6). Johnson followed with a drive off the right-field wall and scored one out later on Craig Grebeck’s suicide squeeze.

Reliever Scott Radinsky (6-0) worked 1 2/3 innings, and Roberto Hernandez got the final out for his 22nd save.

New York 8, Milwaukee 4--Danny Tartabull and Mike Stanley homered in a six-run fourth inning as the Yankees came back from a 3-0 deficit at New York.

Tartabull’s 21st homer opened the inning, and the next five Yankees scored. Stanley’s 18th homer, an opposite-field liner to right, drove in Paul O’Neill and Bernie Williams.

Mike Gallego, Pat Kelly and Wade Boggs followed with singles. Gallego scored on Boggs’ single and Kelly came home on Don Mattingly’s sacrifice fly.

Cal Eldred (11-11) threw 47 pitches in the inning as the Yankees sent 10 batters to the plate with the first seven reaching safely. Eldred gave up eight hits, six runs, three walks and struck out two in four innings.

Scott Kamieniecki (6-3) gave up eight hits and four runs over 6 2/3 innings, and Steve Howe went the final 2 1/3 innings for his fourth save.

Detroit 8, Toronto 5--Scott Livingstone drove in three runs and Mike Moore scattered seven hits over seven innings at Toronto as the Tigers ended the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak.

Moore (7-5) gave up four runs while striking out two and giving up no walks as Detroit broke its three-game losing streak. Mike Henneman pitched the final two innings for his 17th save.

Livingstone’s two-run double and Chris Gomez’s run-scoring single increased the Tigers’ lead from 2-1 to 5-1 in the fourth.

After Joe Carter hit a run-scoring double and John Olerud drove in a run with a single to make it 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, Livingstone followed Kirk Gibson’s fifth-inning triple with a base hit, making it 6-3.

Boston 8, Baltimore 7--Andre Dawson homered and drove in five runs to lead the Red Sox at Baltimore, extending the Orioles’ losing streak to four games.

Mo Vaughn and Tony Pena also homered for the Red Sox, who built an 8-2 lead after three innings and held on despite a grand slam by Harold Baines and a solo homer by Cal Ripken Jr.

Boston, which has won three in a row and 13 of 15, moved within half a game of first place in the American League East. Baltimore, whose four-game skid matches its season-high, has dropped six of eight since taking over first place in the American League East on July 20.

Trailing, 8-6, the Orioles loaded the bases against Greg Harris with none out in the eighth. After Mike Devereaux struck out, Baines hit a sacrifice fly and Ripken flied out.

Jeff Russell pitched a perfect ninth for his 27th save.

Oakland 4, Texas 1--Troy Neel delivered a two-run single in a three-run seventh inning to lift the Athletics in Nolan Ryan’s farewell performance at Oakland Coliseum.

Ron Darling (4-4) held the Rangers to one run over seven innings. He gave up seven hits while striking out five and walking none.

Edwin Nunez and Dennis Eckersley finished, with Eckersley striking out the side in the ninth for his 23rd save.

Ryan, winless in six starts against the A’s since no-hitting them at Oakland on June 11, 1990, gave up five hits in six-plus innings. It was his third start since coming off the disabled list July 19. He was charged with all four runs, walked six and struck out six.

Ryan (2-3) got a standing ovation as he walked off the field and he tipped his cap in acknowledgment.

Ryan is retiring at the end of this season, his 27th.

Craig Lefferts relieved Ryan and got an out before walking Ruben Sierra to force in a run. Neel followed with a single to center, scoring Hemond and Blankenship.