At 0-3, Yankees Not Feeling All That Grand

Sure, there are teams that have yet to win, but patience can still be found in Arizona, Montreal, perhaps even in Dodger Stadium.

But New York?

Scott Spiezio hit a grand slam off David Cone during a five-run sixth inning that sent the Athletics to a 7-3 win over New York, which is 0-3 for the first time since 1985.

That was the year owner George Steinbrenner fired Yogi Berra as manager after a 6-10 start.

The Yankees haven’t started 0-4 since 1973, the first year Steinbrenner owned the club and before he learned about this manager-firing business.

“We had a good spring training and felt we were ready to go. Now we’re 0-3, and nobody feels happy about it,” said Cone, who lost his first start since shoulder surgery.

Worse, he had pitched 18 scoreless innings at Oakland over three seasons, including seven no-hit innings two years ago.

He gave up seven runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings but said his shoulder felt fine.

“I really felt sharp,” Cone said. “After we got the early lead, I felt three runs might have been enough.”

Spiezio made certain that wasn’t the case.

He doubled to lead off the fifth and A.J. Hinch walked. Rafael Bournigal sacrificed and both runners scored on Rickey Henderson’s single.

In the sixth, Cone gave up a triple to rookie Ben Grieve and walked Kevin Mitchell and Jason Giambi, loading the bases with one out. Spiezio followed with the second grand slam of his career for a 6-3 lead.

“I don’t think I’ve ever got a hit off of him in two games,” Spiezio said. “That was the first time I’ve ever hit the ball solidly [off of Cone].”

Cone said he “made a huge mistake at the wrong time. I was trying to throw a cutter in there and get to the next pitch. Obviously, I didn’t get there.”

And so it begins, even with the season just ending its first week.

“I don’t know that after three losses you can worry about pressure,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “We’re still not swinging the bats. We just couldn’t get anything going. We will. It’s just a matter of time.”

With Steinbrenner, how much time is there?

Baltimore 2, Detroit 1--Scott Kamieniecki gave up three walks and a single in a 28-pitch first inning, then settled down to pitch six-plus innings of shutout ball in winning at Baltimore.

Kamieniecki gave up four hits, walked three and struck out two in pitching the Orioles to their fourth win in a row.

The Tigers failed to score in the first inning because Kamieniecki picked Bip Roberts off first base and threw a third strike past Damion Easley, who looked at the full-count, two-out, bases-loaded pitch.

Joe Randa led off the second inning with a single, but Kamieniecki retired the next 13 batters before Bobby Higginson doubled with one out in the sixth.

A homer by Easley off reliever Armando Benitez in the ninth provided the punchless Tigers with only their fourth run in the last 28 innings.

Baltimore got its runs in the sixth inning when Roberto Alomar and Eric Davis singled before Rafael Palmeiro walked to load the bases for Cal Ripken Jr., who hit a sharp grounder to third that left a diving Randa with no choice but to throw to second for a force.

Reliever Sean Runyan then gave up a sacrifice fly to B.J. Surhoff.

Kansas City 3, Minnesota 2--Jose Offerman led off the 10th inning with a triple and scored on Hal Morris’ grounder to give the Royals a win at Minneapolis.

Offerman, whose error in the second inning led to both Minnesota runs, lined a 2-and-2 pitch from Eddie Guardado (1-1) to the wall in left-center for his third hit. He scored when second baseman Todd Walker threw weakly to the plate on Morris’ high bouncer.

Dean Palmer tied a Royal record with three doubles one night after matching a career high with four hits.

Tampa Bay 8, Chicago 2--Dennis Springer held the White Sox to six hits in 7 1/3 innings and Fred McGriff, Rich Butler and Mike Difelice all homered for Tampa Bay, which won at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The expansion Devil Rays played the game under protest after Chicago’s Frank Thomas hit a disputed fourth-inning home run that struck a catwalk in left field before coming down in foul territory.

The umpires discussed the play for nearly five minutes before ruling it was a home run that tied the score, 1-1, in the fourth inning. Devil Ray Manager Larry Rothschild lodged the protest over the interpretation of the ground rules at Tropicana Field.

Difelice hit a three-run homer in the seventh and had four RBIs. Quinton McCracken and Dave Martinez each had three hits and an RBI for Tampa Bay, which became the first expansion team to open its inaugural season with five games of 10-plus hits.

Springer (1-0) walked one and struck out three before being replaced by Jim Mecir. Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth.

Toronto 9, Texas 2--Jose Canseco and Mike Stanley hit successive solo home runs in the sixth inning, and Woody Williams pitched seven strong innings for the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Williams (1-0) gave up four hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Canseco and Stanley hit their first homers of the season off Darren Oliver (0-1), who gave up seven hits in six innings. The homers were the first Oliver had given up in his last 51 innings against Toronto.

Juan Gonzalez hit a two-run homer, his second, for the Rangers.

Toronto’s 4-5-6 hitters--Canseco, Stanley and Jose Cruz Jr.--entered the game in a four-for-36 slump. Canseco went two for three with two RBIs, Stanley went three for six and Cruz one for three with a walk.

Kelvim Escobar and Dan Plesac each followed Williams with an inning of hitless relief.

Toronto broke the game open with five runs in the eighth inning.