Cone Finally Rewarded With Elusive Win

David Cone’s father pumped his fist from the box seats and the Yankee Stadium crowd erupted with an ovation. New York pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre returned from chemotherapy to root from the dugout.

Jose Canseco helped with his bat, hitting a home run into the upper deck and driving in three runs.

Showered with so much support, Cone simply could not lose.

Cone won for the first time in 16 starts, proving he could still be a valuable part of the rotation by pitching the Yankees over the Oakland Athletics, 12-6, Thursday at New York.

“It sure took a long time, too long,” Cone said. “Tomorrow I wake up and I’m 2-10. But for today, it feels good.”

Cone stopped his career-high losing streak at eight, giving up eight hits, two runs and one walk in six innings.

The Yankees had lost the last 13 times Cone had started, but there was little suspense this time as the Yankees took a season-high five-game lead in the AL East.

“I felt like a got a huge gorilla off my back--King Kong,” Cone said.

Canseco, making his first start for New York, went two for two with a walk and two sacrifice flies.

Seattle 6, Chicago 3--Joe Oliver and Mike Cameron hit two-run homers at Chicago to back Aaron Sele, who reached 13 wins for the fourth consecutive season.

Cameron was three for four to help spoil the first major league appearance of Rocky Biddle, a former standout at Long Beach State and Temple City High.

Biddle gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Sele (13-6) gave up three runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Seattle (68-47) has won six of seven and is 21 games over .500 for only the second time.

Toronto 15, Kansas City 7--Tony Batista hit his 34th homer, leaving him tied for the league lead, and had a go-ahead single as the Blue Jays rallied to win at Kansas City, Mo.

David Wells, 17-4 this season but 2-2 since the All-Star break, failed to hold a 3-0 lead. He gave up seven runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing since April 14 against Seattle.

Detroit 14, Baltimore 3--Bobby Higginson had three hits and four RBIs, and knuckleballer Steve Sparks baffled Baltimore for 7 2/3 innings at Detroit.

Tampa Bay 10, Minnesota 4--Aubrey Huff hit his first major league homer, a three-run drive in a five-run first-inning at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Devil Rays reached 50 wins in 113 games, the fastest in team history.