Even Rain Can’t Slow the Yankees’ Cone

For once, David Cone was happy to have an early shower.

“I was [worried] a little bit,” Cone said of the 50-minute rain delay in the second inning. “I was wondering how long I would last, but I was better after it.”

Cone struck out 11 and pitched a five-hitter as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-2, Tuesday night at New York.

“I was just happy the rain delay came when it did,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “If it came a couple of innings later, he might have had trouble cranking it up, but it looked to me like he had better stuff after the rain delay than before.”

The Yankees, swept in a three-game interleague series last season in Philadelphia, beat the Phillies for the first time since the fourth and final game of the 1950 World Series.

Cone (11-2) came within one out of recording his first shutout of the season. Scott Rolen doubled with two outs and Jon Zuber followed with his first home run.

“He was on target,” said former New York Met teammate Gregg Jefferies, who was hitless in four at-bats. “He didn’t make a mistake tonight.”

Cone walked none in his second complete game in his last four starts. He retired the first 14 Phillies before allowing an infield single to Bobby Abreu with two outs in the fifth.

Detroit 3, Pittsburgh 0--Brian Moehler pitched a five-hit shutout for his first road victory this season, and the Tigers won at Pittsburgh for the first time since the 1909 World Series.

The Ty Cobb-led Tigers lost two of three in Pittsburgh that year--the Pirates’ first in a new park named Forbes Field--and went on to lose the World Series in seven games.

Oakland 12, San Diego 10--Mike Blowers had a two-run single as the Athletics scored four in the eighth inning at Oakland, to complete their first winning month in two seasons.

With one out in the eighth and the score, 8-8, Rickey Henderson walked and Rafael Bournigal singled off Dan Miceli (7-3). Trevor Hoffman, who leads the NL in saves, came in and walked Ben Grieve.

Hoffman then walked Matt Stairs to drive in the go-ahead run.

Atlanta 7, Tampa Bay 2--Andres Galarraga homered in his first two at-bats after missing five games because of a sore back, leading the Braves at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The home runs were the 26th and 27th of the year for Galarraga, who has five two-homer games this season and 24 in his career.

Cincinnati 6, Minnesota 3--Willie Greene hit a three-run homer and the Reds won their season-high, fifth consecutive game with a victory over the Twins at Cincinnati.

Brett Tomko (7-6) got his second consecutive victory in interleague play after losing five in a row to National League opponents. He gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Boston 7, Montreal 4--Nomar Garciaparra extended his hitting streak to 21 games--the longest in the majors this season--and Damon Buford was three for three with three RBIs at Boston.

Steve Avery (5-2) threw six innings of four-hit ball, allowing two runs while striking out three and walking none to rebound from his worst outing of the year. Tom Gordon pitched the ninth for his 24th save.

Kansas City 6, St. Louis 1--Mark McGwire tied Reggie Jackson’s record for most homers before the All-Star break, hitting No. 37 at St. Louis.

McGwire hit a 472-foot, upper deck shot off Glendon Rusch in the seventh inning against the Royals, who were playing in St. Louis for the first time since the 1985 World Series.

Toronto 6, New York Mets 3--Roger Clemens struck out a season-high 11 and Jose Canseco and Carlos Delgado hit consecutive homers at Toronto.

Clemens (9-6) pitched a six-hitter and walked one. It was his second complete game of the season and 111th of his 15-year career.

Florida 7, Baltimore 5--Cliff Floyd drove in four runs as the Marlins rallied from a five-run deficit at Baltimore to hand the Orioles their seventh loss in a row.

Derrek Lee doubled in the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning following a two-out intentional walk to Floyd, whose four RBIs matched a career high.

Milwaukee 5, Cleveland 4--Cal Eldred defeated the Indians at Milwaukee for the first time since 1992 and singled for the first two RBIs of his career.

The Brewers won for the seventh time in eight games and improved to 8-4 in interleague play. The Indians lost their third in a row.

Arizona 5, Chicago 4--Sammy Sosa hit his 20th home run in June, wrapping up the most prolific month in major league history, but the Cubs lost at Chicago for the eighth time in nine games.

Sosa homered in his first at-bat of the month, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning off Florida’s Ryan Dempster June 1, and in his last at-bat of June. He ended a four-game homerless streak with No. 33, a solo shot in the eighth inning into the left-field bleachers.

Colorado 6, Seattle 4--Ken Griffey Jr. hit his AL-leading 33rd homer at Seattle, but the Mariners lost to the Rockies to match their worst June record in franchise history.

Griffey, who led the All-Star voting for the third straight year, hit 14 homers in June. But the Mariners went 8-20 during the month, tying the 1983 club for the worst June mark.

Griffey came to the plate with a runner on third and two outs in the ninth, but Mike Munoz retired him on a fly to right for his first save.