NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Young Ties Record With 23rd Consecutive Loss

Anthony Young, the pitcher who can’t win, reached the record that no one ever wanted.

He lost his 23rd consecutive decision Tuesday night, tying Cliff Curtis’ 82-year-old record, in the New York Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Montreal Expos at New York.

“I’m embarrassed because I know I’m a better pitcher than that,” Young said.

Young (0-9) was moved up a day in the rotation when Dwight Gooden was scratched because of a stiff right shoulder. But to no avail.

He gave up six runs on six hits in six innings and fell behind 6-0. Not since Curtis struggled for Boston of the National League from 1910 to 1911 has a pitcher faced such futility.

“It’s hard to believe,” Young said. “Who would want to be 0-23?”

The loss capped another grim day in a season that has spun out of control for the Mets. General Manager Al Harazin resigned earlier in the afternoon, and the frustration continued when Manager Dallas Green was ejected during an argument in which he threw a stool on the field.

Cincinnati 16, Colorado 13--Bobby Kelly drove in runs in five consecutive at-bats and the Reds rallied four times to win at Denver.

Cincinnati sent 28 to the plate in the third through the fifth innings, scoring 13 runs.

The Reds rebounded from deficits of 3-0, 5-1, 10-6 and 11-10 before finally taking the lead for good with four runs in the fifth, highlighted by pinch-hitter Gary Varsho’s two-run single against Mark Grant (0-1).

San Diego 2, San Francisco 1--Andy Benes ended San Francisco’s six-game winning streak and got his first victory in a month, at San Francisco.

Benes (8-6) gave up four singles, including two by Robby Thompson, before Jeff Reed’s solo homer in the seventh. Benes struck out seven in eight innings and walked two. Gene Harris finished the six-hitter for his 11th save in 14 chances.

San Diego ended a three-game losing streak.

Pittsburgh 7, Chicago 2--Bob Walk, matched against a pitcher even wackier than himself, threw a three-hitter at Pittsburgh.

Rookie Kevin Young went four for four with two doubles, and Jeff King and rookie Al Martin homered, helping the Pirates win for the fifth time in six games.

Walk (9-5) struck out four and walked none as he pitched consecutive complete games for only the second time in his career.

Cub rookie Turk Wendell (0-2), who waves to his outfielders and brushes his teeth between innings, was tagged for four runs and four hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 3--Pete Incaviglia hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie at Philadelphia.

Following an intentional walk to Darren Daulton, Pete Smith (2-7) gave up Incaviglia’s 12th home run of the season.

Danny Jackson (7-3) gave up three runs and five hits in eight innings, walked three and struck out two.

Florida 7, St. Louis 5--Benito Santiago drove in three runs with a homer and a triple at Miami, helping the Marlins stop a four-game losing streak.

Chris Hammond (8-4) was knocked out in the sixth inning but still won his sixth consecutive start to reach a career high in victories. Brian Harvey pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for his 21st save, despite giving up his first earned run since April 24, a stretch of 23 innings.