SAN JUAN – David Cone was left twisting in the Trade Winds last night, the victim not only of his fickle fastball but also of a ridiculous lack of run support.
Art Howe’s set lineup seems set only for automatic outs, as the listing offense was one-hit by Expos starter Tomo Ohka over eight innings and managed only two hits.
Cone, the 40-year-old comeback kid, suffered his first significant setback with a horrendous seven-run third inning that occurred so quickly, Howe or pitching coach Vern Ruhle didn’t even visit the mound. Nothing went right in the Mets’ third straight loss, a pulverizing and humiliating 10-0 defeat to Montreal before an ecstatic crowd of 17,906 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in the first of 22 Expos’ games here this year.
“I felt like a boxer against the ropes, looking for the bell to ring,” Cone said of the third inning. “The first two innings went really well. I thought I was going to settle in and have a good night.
“It was very humbling. I really took us out of the game.”
Cone served up a two-run shot to Brian Schneider and a grand slam to Brad Wilkerson as the Expos batted around in the third.
Perhaps it didn’t matter, because the Mets (4-6) only managed a fourth-inning, broken-bat single to right by Cliff Floyd against Ohka (1-1), who threw a dominant splitter and change-up for eight innings. Scott Stewart mopped up and allowed the other Met hit, an infield squibber by Roger Cedeno.
Mo Vaughn (0-for-3, .160 average) hasn’t hit safely since last Saturday, and Cedeno raised his average to .176 with a 1-for-3 night. Mike Piazza, who posted a terrible 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Thursday, was given the night off.
“We certainly didn’t waste anything, so we’ll have plenty left in the tank tomorrow,” said Howe, recycling a cliche he used after a blowout loss in March.
Nobody warmed up after Cone served up the first of the two homers, or when he loaded the bases with one out. Exactly a week after Cone shut out the Expos over five innings, Montreal caught up to him. He allowed six of seven men to reach before Wilkerson’s grand slam.
“I kind of lost the feel of my fastball,” Cone said. “I couldn’t get it where I needed to get it.”
Schneider did some handiwork on Cone to spark the rally. After Jose Macias walked on four pitches, Schneider deposited Cone’s 1-0 offering into the right-center bleachers for a 2-0 Expos lead.
With one out, Endy Chavez singled and Jose Vidro, a native of Puerto Rico, stroked a ground-rule double over the center-field fence. Vladimir Guerrero was intentionally walked, and up stepped Wil Cordero, who ripped an RBI single through the hole into left to make it 3-0.
Wilkerson blasted a 1-2 pitch over the right-field bleachers, a majestic grand slam that traveled at least 400 feet. It finally sparked Howe to warm somebody up.
“The home runs came so quickly,” said Howe, who had confidence Cone could escape the jam. “The grand slam really broke the game open.”
Roberto Alomar (0-for-3), one of two Met natives of Puerto Rico, who returned home along with teammate Rey Sanchez, loved the atmosphere but hated the outcome.
“It wasn’t a great game from us, but it only counts for one game,” Alomar said.
