Gooden’s Off, but Good Enough for No. 20

Dwight Gooden became the youngest 20-game winner in major league history Sunday and he has visions of greater things to come.

The 20-year-old New York Met right-hander wasn’t sharp, but stayed around long enough for his 14th straight victory, a 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres to up his record to 20-3.

“It would mean a great deal to get 300 victories, like Tom Seaver,” Gooden said. “But I just have to take one at a time until I get there.”

Gooden, who now has 37 victories in less than two seasons, also would like to get the Mets, one game behind St. Louis in the National League East, into the World Series this year.

“Winning 20 games means a lot to me but a World Series would too, and I think we can do it,” Gooden said.

While Gooden was less than his spectacular self Sunday, throwing 97 pitches in six innings’ work, he got the necessary offense from his teammates, particularly Darryl Strawberry. Strawberry had three hits, including a homer, four RBIs and scored four times, making a loser of Eric Show (9-8).

“Dwight didn’t really have his good fastball, today,” Mets Manager Dave Johnson said. “I’m sure he would have given me another inning, but he threw 140 pitches his last time out and 90-some this time.”

Gooden left with a 4-3 lead, but the Mets scored four runs in the seventh and added another in the eighth. Usually clocked at around 95 m.p.h., Gooden’s fastball reached a top of 93 Sunday and was generally in the in the neighborhood of 89 or 90.

“Dwight has taken leads into the ninth inning twice, once here and once in Montreal, that we didn’t protect for him,” Johnson said. “So, it’s only fair we help him out this time. . . . He’s only human.”

Gooden is the second pitcher this year to win 20 games. Joaquin Andujar, who has lost seven times, won his 20th for the St. Louis Cardinals Friday night.

Gooden’s winning streak is the longest in the majors this year, equaling the string that Rick Sutcliffe of the Chicago Cubs put together last season in winning the National League Cy Young award. Gooden hasn’t lost a game since May 25.

At 20 years, 9 months and 9 days old, Gooden is a little shy of a month younger than Bob Feller was when he won his 20th game for the Cleveland Indians in 1939. Feller was 20 years, 10 months and 5 days old. The youngest previous National League pitcher to win 20 games was Christy Mathewson at 21 years, 1 month and 9 days old in 1901.

Gooden gave up three runs, one unearned, on five hits before being removed for a pinch-hitter. He struck out four, pushing his major league-leading total to 212, and walked one. Gooden’s earned run average of 1.78 also leads the majors.

Roger McDowell replaced Gooden to start the seventh and earned his 12th save, allowing only an infield hit in three innings.