It Would’ve Been ‘Two’ Perfect--Wells Comes Close

As another inning passed and another zero went up on the scoreboard at Yankee Stadium, David Wells couldn’t help but think about perfection.

Nearly defying astronomical odds, Wells flirted with his second perfect game of the year before finishing with a two-hitter Tuesday night as the New York Yankees defeated the Oakland Athletics, 7-0, at New York.

“About the third inning, I turned to Coney [David Cone] and I said, ‘This can’t be happening,’ ” Wells said.

That’s what everyone in the crowd of 36,534 was saying too. After all, there have never been two perfect games in the same season this century. But for six innings, it looked like Wells might push Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa out of the headlines for a night.

Wells, who retired all 27 Minnesota Twins on May 17 at Yankee Stadium, retired his first 20 batters in order. With two outs in the seventh, he hung an 0-2 curveball that Jason Giambi hit softly into center field for a single.

After bouncing off the mound and seeing Giambi’s ball drop in, Wells (17-2) showed little emotion and only spit on the ground before getting back to the business of beating the A’s. When the Yankees were retired in their half of the seventh, Wells stopped and talked briefly with Giambi.

“I told him, ‘Thank you,’ ” Wells said. “I said, ‘Thank you. You took a lot of pressure off me.’ ”

If history was to be made, this was the night to do it as three of the four left-handers who have pitched perfect games were in the ballpark. Oakland’s Kenny Rogers, who pitched a perfect game for the Texas Rangers in 1994, and Tom Browning, who pitched one for the Cincinnati Reds in 1988, were in attendance. (The only other left-hander to pitch a perfect game was Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers).

Wells, 11-0 at home this season, struck out a season-high 13. He has five shutouts this year, tying Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves for the major league lead, and seven complete games.

“He was dealing tonight,” Giambi said. “He had great stuff. His curveball, his fastball was running in. It’s the best stuff I’ve ever seen him have.”

Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez homered for the Yankees, who notched their 99th victory in their 136th game. The 1954 Cleveland Indians hold the AL record for reaching 100 victories fastest, getting No. 100 in their 140th game.

Paul O’Neill went 3 for 4 for the Yankees, flying out to the center-field wall the one time he made an out.

Chicago 9, Baltimore 5--Albert Belle set a club record with his 42nd home run and drove in four runs at Baltimore as the White Sox sent the Orioles to their ninth consecutive loss.

Belle’s fourth-inning solo shot against Doug Drabek broke the White Sox’ single-season mark, set in 1993 by Frank Thomas. His three-run double in the ninth gave him 337 total bases, breaking the club record of 336 set by Joe Jackson in 1920.

Belle, who went 2 for 2 with three walks, has homered in two consecutive games and has hit 23 since the All-Star break. He has already set the Chicago single-season record for extra-base hits.

Rookie Jim Parque (5-5) gave up three runs in six innings to help Chicago to its seventh victory in nine games.

Seattle 7, Boston 3--Reliever Derek Lowe’s throwing error in the seventh inning led to two unearned runs that gave the Mariners the lead at Boston.

Jay Buhner walked in the seventh and took second on Russ Davis’ single. Lowe (3-8) fielded Dan Wilson’s sacrifice bunt and threw wildly past second baseman Donnie Sadler, who was covering first. Buhner scored, Davis reached second and Wilson took third.

David Bell broke the 3-3 tie with a groundout to score Wilson.

Seattle added three runs in the eighth for its first victory in five games at Fenway Park this season as Jamie Moyer (12-8) improved to 4-0 since his last loss on Aug. 1.

Detroit 12, Texas 8--Deivi Cruz broke a tie at Detroit with his first grand slam as the Tigers won for interim manager Larry Parrish, who took over after Buddy Bell was fired a few hours before the game.

Will Clark and Ivan Rodriguez homered for the Rangers, who remained 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Angels in the AL West. Juan Gonzalez raised his RBI total to 144, tying the team record he set two years ago.

Cruz, who also tripled, drove in a career-high four runs to back Matt Anderson (3-1).

Minnesota 6, Tampa Bay 5--Matt Lawton’s two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Twins at Minneapolis.

With the Twins trailing, 5-4, Roberto Hernandez (2-6) walked Pat Meares, and Otis Nixon followed with a bunt single. Lawton followed with his game-winning double off the glove of right fielder Rich Butler.

Butler, recalled earlier in the day from triple-A Durham, gave the Devil Rays a 5-4 lead in the top of the inning with a leadoff homer against Mike Trombley.

Dan Serafini (7-4) got one out for the victory.