For New York’s Gooden, Victory No. 158 Is No. 1

Dwight Gooden didn’t hesitate. He knew exactly where to rank his 158th victory.

“This is definitely the sweetest one of my career,” Gooden said. “No. 1.”

Gooden recovered from a shaky start to win his first game in nearly two years Wednesday night, pitching the Yankees to a 10-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in New York.

For Gooden, who returned to baseball this season after sitting out all 1995 because he was banned for testing positive for cocaine, his first victory since June 19, 1994, and his first AL victory, was a triumph of perseverance.

“From where I’ve come from,” Gooden said. “This time last year, I didn’t even know if this would come, if I would even have the opportunity. After being at rock bottom and coming back, for me personally, it’s a miracle.”

In making his sixth start of the season, Gooden gave up three runs on two hits in the first inning, then settled down to defeat the league’s worst-hitting team.

After a two-out single in the first, Gooden retired 22 Tigers in a row before leaving after eight innings. As he strolled from the mound, Gooden tipped his cap after receiving a loud ovation. He was warmly greeted in the Yankee dugout.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that after getting a win,” Gooden said. “It was just another reward for coming back from all I’ve been through.”

Gooden walked two and struck out a season-high eight. He won 157 games in the NL with the New York Mets before drug problems derailed his career.

Wade Boggs went three for four and scored four runs, Tim Raines hit his first homer and Bernie Williams hit a two-run home run for the Yankees, who won their fourth in a row.

The Tigers have lost six in a row and 18 of their last 20.

Texas 4, Toronto 2--Bobby Witt (4-2) won his 100th game and the Rangers won their fifth in a row, beating the Blue Jays at Arlington, Texas.

Witt (4-2) gave up eight hits in seven-plus innings and struck out nine for the Rangers, who are 11-0 at home against the AL East. He is 100-109.

Darryl Hamilton went three for four and reached base four times, but Texas managed only seven hits against Erik Hanson (3-5).

Chicago 11, Baltimore 2--Robin Ventura’s three-run homer highlighted a six-run fifth inning that carried the White Sox to a victory in Chicago.

James Baldwin (3-0) gave up two runs on five hits in six innings to hand the Orioles their fourth loss in a row and ninth in 14 games.

The White Sox broke the game open in the fifth when Tony Phillips singled home Ray Durham, Harold Baines singled home Phillips and Ozzie Guillen and Ventura’s three-run homer cleaned the bases.

Minnesota 7, Seattle 5--Pitcher Bob Wells’ throwing error allowed the go-ahead run to score in the 10th inning for the Twins at Seattle.

Dave Hollins opened the 10th with a double off Wells (2-1), and pinch-hitter Richard Becker sacrificed Hollins to third. Wells, the fifth Seattle pitcher, fielded the bunt and threw to third baseman Russ Davis, but the ball went down the left-field line into the Seattle bullpen.

Cleveland 7, Oakland 3--Charles Nagy scattered seven hits in eight innings and Albert Belle had a three-run homer in a five-run fifth for the Indians, who won in Oakland.

The Athletics outscored Cleveland, 13-7, in winning the first two games, but couldn’t solve Nagy (5-1), who blanked them on four hits until the eighth inning.