A's Hold Yankees At 99 Wins

On what they hoped would be a milestone night, the Yankees got all wet.

New York's quest to reach victory No. 100 on the earliest date in major-league history was delayed when the Yankees lost to the Oakland Athletics 2-0 Wednesday night in a game that began 2 hours, 14 minutes late following heavy rain.

The earliest date a team won its 100th game is Sept. 9, a feat accomplished by both the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 1954 Cleveland Indians. New York's next attempt will be Friday, when it starts a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.

"I hope we don't get it at home now," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

It was the first shutout loss at home for the Yankees since last Sept. 19 against Toronto, and it ended David Cone's perfect 11-0 record in Yankee Stadium this season. It also marked just the third time in 67 home games this season that New York (99-38) failed to lead for at least part of the game.

Gil Heredia (3-0) allowed just five hits in 7 2/3 innings as Oakland beat the Yankees for just the third time in 11 games this season.

"I didn't even know they were going for their 100th win," Heredia said. "But I think the biggest thing for me was to come in and throw strikes with all my four pitches and keep their hitters off-balance."

A's

Great plays like this one by shortstop Derek Jeter couldn't keep the Yankees from losing to Oakland Wednesday night. (AP)

"It was like I was on a sugar high and all of a sudden I hit a wall," he said. " A.J. tried to convince me to stay in and almost had me convinced when Howe came out and took me. I usually load up with caffeine. I guess it's the same kind of high. I drink about five cups of coffee -- three before the game and two during the game."

T.J. Mathews got the final out in the eighth and Billy Taylor finished for his 29th save. Bernie Williams singled with two outs in the ninth, but Tino Martinez flied out to the warning track in center to end it.

Matt Stairs hit an RBI groundout in the first and Ryan Christenson hit his fifth homer of the season off Mike Stanton in the eighth. Meanwhile, A's pitchers prevented the Yankees from getting any leadoff batters on base.

About half of the 30,332 who bought tickets didn't see any of it; they left during the rain delay.

Cone (18-5), seeking to become the first 19-game winner in the major leagues this season, failed to win for the third consecutive start.

He allowed one run and four hits in seven innings and struck out 10. Torre said that if the division race were tighter, he might have sent Cone out for the eighth.

"With the number of games in the postseason, you want to conserve and not empty the tank," Torre said.

Cone is trying to win 20 games for the first time in 10 years, which would be a record for time between 20-win seasons. Jim Kaat did it eight years apart.

"Sure, in the back of your mind you're always frustrated," Cone said. "But I've had great run support all year. It's hard to complain."

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