NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Cone Strikes Out 11 as Mets Lose, 9-2

With the return of Dwight Gooden and the acquisition of Bret Saberhagen, the New York Mets believed they had the best pitching staff in the National League.

Add David Cone and Sid Fernandez and a bullpen headed by John Franco and the Mets had a powerful argument.

Of course, it’s only the first week of the season, but the Mets, getting mostly horrible pitching, are last in the Eastern Division.

Although he struck out 11 in seven innings, Cone was outpitched by Dennis Martinez Saturday in New York and the Montreal Expos trounced the Mets, 9-2.

The Mets are 2-4 and the high-priced pitching staff has given up 40 runs in six games.

The only starter to win is Anthony Young, a rookie right-hander who isn’t expected to be a regular member of the rotation.

It was a cold, rainy day at Shea Stadium, but Martinez, who led the majors with a 2.39 earned-run average, was superb. The Mets got only three hits in seven innings.

Tim Wallach had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs. The Expos scored four times in the fourth inning to give Martinez the support he needed.

“Today’s weather was very tough,” Martinez said. “I couldn’t even stay warm in the dugout. As a younger pitcher, I probably would have lasted only an inning.

“When I couldn’t get loose, I used my experience and my mental toughness to stay focused. I used the breaking ball most of the game and pitched in and out.”

Chicago 5, St. Louis 1--Most pitchers enjoy talking about their hitting exploits. Chuck McElroy is an exception.

After getting a triple to start a two-run seventh at Chicago he singled to set up another run in the eighth. But all he wanted to talk about was his 2 1/3 perfect innings that helped the Cubs end a three-game losing streak.

“I’ve always been a good hitter, but my job is pitching,” said McElroy, who was three-for-10 as a rookie last season. I hit .400 in high school and hit 30 career home runs.”

The Cubs were leading, 2-1, when McElroy replaced Shawn Boskie (1-0) after Tom Pagnozzi doubled with two out in the seventh. McElroy struck out pinch-hitter Craig Wilson to start a string of seven outs in a row.

San Francisco 3, Atlanta 0--The complaint from Giant fans when they traded slugger Kevin Mitchell to Seattle was they didn’t get enough in return.

The Giants received three pitchers with an accumulative 57-77 major league record.

One of them, though, Bill Swift is emerging as the Giants’ most effective pitcher.

Swift, 25-35 with the Mariners, pitched a six-hitter at Atlanta for his second major league shutout. Swift, 30, beat the Dodgers, 8-1, in the season opener. He was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team.

Philadelphia 7, Pittsburgh 4--The Phillies brought Ruben Amaro to the majors only because Len Dykstra suffered a broken arm in the first game of the season.

The way Amaro is going, he may never return to the minors.

Amaro hit his second home run and helped Andy Ashby get his first victory.

Ashby pitched six innings. He gave up four hits, one of them Barry Bonds’ third home run.

Houston 2, Cincinnati 1--It doesn’t appear Jeff Bagwell is concerned about any sophomore jinx. Last year’s rookie of the year singled home the winning run with two out in the eighth inning at Houston.

Bagwell’s hit handed Jose Rijo his second consecutive loss and raised Bagwell’s average to .429.

Rijo struck out 12 in eight innings but gave up two hits in the eighth to lose it.