David Cone entered this contest with some positive momentum amid a dreadful season. His previous time out, he tossed six innings of three-run ball. That was Coney’s first quality start since the middle of May.

Now, facing the Twins, who entered this contest 11 games under .500 — and en route to “earning” the right to draft Joe Mauer No. 1 overall in 2001 with the AL’s worst record — there was reason to think maybe Cone could put together another strong start. And after that… who knows? Alas. That optimism was extremely short-lived.

The Twins attacked early and often, driving Coney from the game after he allowed a season-worst eight runs, all earned, in only five innings.

July 27: Yankees 3, Twins 9 (box score)

Record: 54-43, .557 (2 GA)

For a hot minute, there was reason to worry whether Coney would get five outs, let along pitch five frames. The Twins were all over him from the outset. A double followed by a wild pitch gave way to an RBI single to put Minnesota on the board. A walk and another RBI single made it 2-0 Twinkies. Another walk and a sac fly scored a third run and finally recorded an out. Just an all-around disaster of an opening stanza for Cone.

Cone managed to navigate a couple of scoreless innings. But in the fourth, the Twins got to him again. A pair of walks put two men on and Matt Lawton made Cone pay. His RBI double plated both men and put the Yankees down by five.

The Bronx Bombers fought back in the top of the fifth and even made it a game again. David Justice absolutely crushed a 423-foot two-run moonshot, his sixth dinger since joining the club. Later in the frame, a Scott Brosius double scored a third run and suddenly, the Yanks trailed only 5-3.

Unfortunately, Cone and the bullpen gave it all back in the home sixth. Two singles and a double plated a sixth Twins run and ended Cone’s night. Jason Grimsley, the first man out of the ‘pen, wasn’t much more successful. He allowed both inherited runners to score, meaning Cone’s final line featured a ghastly “8” in the earned run column.

At that point the game was basically over. The Twins tacked on a ninth run to close out the scoring. The Yankees managed to put two runners on in both the eighth and ninth innings but in each case failed to bring anyone home.

Even with the loss, the Yankees still sat two games up in the AL East on the Blue Jays. But there was real reason to wonder if the club had the starting pitching to go the distance. Obviously, we know how the story ends. And Coney got a moment of October redemption amid this hellscape season for him.

But as the Dog Days of August approached, things looked bleak for the venerable righthander.

Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.