NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Short Loss, Longer Misery for Young

Anthony Young found a new way to lose a game Friday--in the rain.

Then again, it’s been raining on Young for 25 games now, covering 423 days and nights since May 6, 1992, while he set a major league record for consecutive losses.

His latest was to the San Francisco Giants, who broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fourth inning and beat the New York Mets, 3-1, at New York. The game began in drizzle and was halted after five innings because of a downpour.

Somehow, Young knew.

“The ball was slippery the whole night because of the rain, and I had a feeling once it was stopped it wasn’t going to be resumed,” he said.

The Giants became the 10th team in the streak to beat Young, who has lost to 23 pitchers in the 25 games. Atlanta and the expansion teams, Florida and Colorado, have yet to join the club.

Young was his own worst enemy Friday, contributing to the defeat with an error in the fourth inning. Willie McGee led off with a single and Royce Clayton beat out an infield hit to Young, who threw the ball into right field, allowing McGee to race to third.

Kirt Manwaring followed with a single that scored McGee. Two outs later, Lewis singled to drive in Clayton.

Dave Burba (6-2) was the winner in relief of starter Trevor Wilson, who left the game after 3 2/3 innings because of inflammation in his left shoulder.

San Diego 5, Philadelphia 2--In a game held up for 5 hours 54 minutes because of three rain delays, the Padres won the first game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia. The game ended at 1:03 a.m. EDT and the second was scheduled to start 22 minutes later.

Phil Clark doubled in a run and another scored on a sacrifice fly in a two-run fourth for the Padres.

Mark Ettles (1-0) pitched two innings in relief of starter Doug Brocail for his first major league victory.

Florida 4, Atlanta 2--Chris Hammond won his eighth decision in a row, giving up three hits in 7 2/3 innings at Atlanta to beat Greg Maddux (7-7).

Hammond (10-4) was 0-3 before changing his uniform from No. 38 to No. 11.

He was replaced by Matt Turner with Bill Pecota on first base in the eighth inning. Otis Nixon doubled off Turner, and when the ball got past right fielder Darrell Whitmore, Pecota scored and Nixon went to third.

Bryan Harvey struck out Jeff Blauser and retired the side in the ninth to record his 24th save.

Houston 7, St. Louis 1--The Astros scored five runs on four hits in the fourth inning against Joe Magrane (7-7), whose five-game winning streak was ended at Houston.

Mark Portugal (6-3) was the winning pitcher, giving up one run and eight hits and striking out eight in seven innings in dealing the Cardinals only their second loss in nine games.

Pittsburgh 10-1, Cincinnati 9-9--Don Slaught hit two three-run homers and drove in a career-high seven runs, rallying the Pirates in the first game at Cincinnati.

The Reds won the second game by reaching Tim Wakefield for eight hits in six innings, including homers by Jacob Brumfield and Kevin Mitchell.