Cone Silences Braves : Yankees Feel Relieved After Starter’s Effort

New York Yankee starter David Cone lounged around the hotel Tuesday afternoon, and each newspaper story he read, each TV interview he heard, he became angrier and angrier.

It was as if the Yankees were wasting everyone’s time even bothering to show up to complete the World Series.

“It seemed like everybody was so busy talking about the Braves’ place in history and how great of a team they are,” Cone said, “they forgot about us.”

Cone proved that this World Series is far from over, leading the Yankees to a 5-2 victory over the Braves in front of a subdued crowd of 51,843 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

“Maybe we’ve got them all thinking a little bit now,” Cone said, breaking into a devilish expansive grin. “If we can just win one more game and send this back to New York, anything can happen.”

The Braves still lead the World Series two games to one with Game 4 scheduled tonight at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Yet, for the first time in a week, the Braves appeared vulnerable.

This is a team that had outscored the opposition, 48-2, in their previous five postseason games. They completely dominated the Yankees in the first two games at Yankee Stadium, winning, 16-1, and limiting the Yankees to a .175 batting average. All that was needed was for the Yankees to play out the string.

“I heard a lot of things walking around the city today,” Yankee second baseman Luis Sojo said. “I kept hearing people say it would be over in two games. People were saying we would get swept.

“People don’t understand this team. They don’t understand how much we believe in ourselves. And I don’t think they understand Coney.”

Cone, who was in a hospital bed in May with an aneurysm in his right shoulder wondering if he would ever pitch again, proved why he still is one of the game’s greatest money pitchers.

Knowing that a poor performance might ruin everything that went right for the Yankees this season, Cone went out and shut the Braves down for six innings. He yielded four hits and one run, and stepped aside in the seventh to permit his bullpen to close the door for the Yankees’ sixth consecutive postseason victory on the road.

“This was as important a game as I’ve ever pitched,” said Cone, who won his first World Series game. “This wasn’t a do-or-die game, or a walkoff job, but was as close as you can get. We had to have this win.

“I think our mind-set was that we were embarrassed in New York. We talked about how New Yorik had not had a World Series in 15 years and how the Yankee Stadium crowd was going to be so emotional. They never got into either game.

“So we thought we have nothing to lose. Let’s let it all hang out.”

Perhaps this is what Cone had in mind in the sixth inning during the most pivotal moment of the game. Cone, who had not permitted a runner to reach second for the first five innings, opened the sixth by walking Braves starter Tom Glavine. Marquis Grissom followed single to left.

Cone, showing absolutely no concern, knew that Mark Lemke would be trying to bunt. He threw ball 1, and then watched Lemke pop up a high fastball on the next pitch. First baseman Cecil Fielder caught it and Lemke slammed his bat to the ground in frustration.

Yet, instead of getting out of trouble, it was only beginning. Cone walked Chipper Jones on five pitches, bringing cleanup hitter Fred McGriff to the plate. Yankee Manager Joe Torre immediately went to the mound, and logic dictated that he would summon left-handed reliever Graeme Lloyd.

McGriff, after all, entered the game batting .500 in the Series with a homer and five RBIs. Torre looked straight into Cone’s eyes and started popping questions.

“Joe just got into my face, as close as you can get,” Cone said, “and implored me to be honest. He said, ‘You know how important the situation is. You know how much this game means. How do you feel? Do you have anything left?’

Said Torre: “I just wanted him to level with me. I trust David Cone. And if you don’t think I trust him after that situation, then I will never trust him. He said, ‘I’m fine, I’m just losing the splitter [split-fingered fastball] a little.

“I looked into his eyes and I believed him. He had a look in his eye that I haven’t seen for awhile. He was very determined.”

Cone gazed right back into Torre’s eyes. He told him that he wanted to pitch to McGriff.

“Actually,” Cone said, “I lied.”

Torre walked back to the dugout, watched Cone throw a nasty curveball over the plate for strike 1. Cone came back with a high-and-tight fastball and jammed McGriff. He hit a pop fly to shortstop Derek Jeter for the second out, preventing anyone from moving.

“I guess I should have hit that ball out of the park,” McGriff said. “What are you going to do? He’s paid to get guys out.”

Now, all that stood between Cone and escaping the jam was left-handed power hitter Ryan Klesko. With a full count and the crowd on its feet, Cone stared in disbelief when Klesko took a high fastball for ball 4, forcing in a run.

Cone yelled, spread his hands and looked toward the heavens. He walked around the mound, collected himself, and then got a foul pop-up from Javier Lopez for the third out.

The Yankees still had a 2-1 lead, and it was all that was needed. The Yankees maintained their lead with their superb bullpen corps of Mariano Rivera, Lloyd and John Wetteland. The Braves had no choice but to expose their vulnerable middle relief.

The Yankees blew the game open once Glavine left the game. Center fielder Bernie Williams, the hero of the first two rounds of the playoffs but who had been hitless in his first two World Series games, iced the game with a two-run homer off Greg McMichael. Williams also drove in the Yankees’ first run of the game in the first with a one-out single. The Yankees made it 5-1 when Sojo hit a run-scoring single off Brad Clontz, and the Braves suddenly realize they’re now in for a battle.

“A lot of people counted us out,” Yankee left fielder Tim Raines said. “Well, they were wrong. You can never count out this team.”

* ROSS NEWHAN: Bernie Williams is having a postseason to remember. C6

* THEY’RE HUMAN: Coronation put on hold for mistake-prone Braves. C7

* AVERY: Left-hander becomes Braves’ forgotten man. C7

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

World Series

GAME 1-Atlanta 12, New York 1

GAME 2--Atlanta 4, New York 0

GAME 3--New York 5, Atlanta 2

TODAY--New York (Rogers, 12-8) at Atlanta (Neagle, 16-9), 5:15 p.m.

THURSDAY--New York (Pettitte, 21-8) at Atlanta (Smoltz, 24-8), 5:15 p.m.

*SATURDAY--at New York, 5 p.m.

*SUNDAY--at New York, 4:30 p.m.

All games on Channel 11; *--If necessary