Yankees Overcome Early Exit by Cone

After right-handed pitcher David Cone removed himself in the second inning because of a tight right shoulder, Ramiro Mendoza pitched six innings of two-hit relief to lead the New York Yankees to an 8-0 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Mendoza (5-5), the losing pitcher in Saturday’s game, combined with Kenny Rogers on a three-hitter.

Cone, who missed most of the 1996 season because of surgery for an aneurysm in right shoulder, threw 21 pitches in the first inning with walks to Rusty Greer and Juan Gonzalez before he struck out Lee Stevens to end the inning.

Cone, 34, was taken to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and examined by team doctor Stuart Hershon. The injury was diagnosed as muscle tightness in the right shoulder. He will be re-examined today.

“It could be a little bit of a tired arm and a little bit of tendinitis settling in,” Cone said. “The best-case scenario is it’s treatable and I could get a cortisone shot or an anti-inflammatory treatment and be back soon.”

He said the doctor told him the problem did not appear related to last year’s aneurysm. Cone did not make the trip to Anaheim where the Yankees begin a four-game series Tuesday.

Cone was warming up before the start of the second inning of the game against the Texas Rangers when he walked toward the plate to speak to the umpire. Shortly after, he headed directly for the dugout and went into the locker room.

“David did the right thing taking himself out. We’ll have him re-examined tomorrow and see where we are with him,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said.

Torre turned to Mendoza, who gave up a walk, while striking out three in six innings.

Tim Raines went three for five with three RBIs and Paul O’Neill drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run as the Yankees won for the seventh time in nine games.

Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez and Charlie Hayes each had two hits for the Yankees.

Rogers, who left his last start Aug. 10 after three innings because of a tight upper back, struck out five in the final two innings. He gave up a hit and a walk.

Rogers was surprised to make an appearance. The left-handed tested his injury by throwing on the side before the game.

“They came in the second or third and asked if I could throw,” he said. “I said sure. The big thing was Ramiro going six solid innings.”

Rogers and Mendoza might make starts on the Yankees’ upcoming eight-game West Coast trip.

Bobby Witt (11-9) gave up all eight of the Yankees runs. He gave up 12 hits and three walks with only one strikeout in 6 1/3 innings.

O’Neill’s sacrifice fly in the Yankees’ two-run fifth came after Martinez hit an RBI single to raise his league-leading total to 116.

Raines hit a run-scoring single in the first inning and doubled home two more in New York’s three-run third.

Rusty Greer had two of the Rangers’ three hits and is batting .324. He is 13 for 34 in his last nine games. Mark McLemore had the other hit for Texas.