Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 23, 1993 TAG: 9306230141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
He lost his 23rd straight decision Tuesday night, tying Cliff Curtis' 82-year-old record in the New York Mets' 6-3 loss to the Montreal Expos.
"I'm embarrassed because I know I'm a better pitcher than that," Young said. "You saw the game."
Young (0-9) was moved up a day in the rotation when Dwight Gooden was pushed back because of a stiff right shoulder.
He gave up six runs and six hits in six innings, and fell behind 6-0. Not since Curtis struggled for Boston of the National League in 1910-11 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 at night when manager Dallas Green was ejected during an argument in which he threw a stool onto the field.
Once again, the Mets didn't give Young much help. They made four errors, two leading to a three-run second inning, and left the bases loaded twice without scoring early in the game.
"We're not dealing with normal circumstances here," Green said. "When the errors happen he tends to shrug his shoulders. He's been a pro about it."
Young, who has been the victim of 12 unearned runs during the streak, is 0-11 as a starter and 0-12 in relief. The Mets have been outscored 124-63 during the run.
Green, however, says Young will stay in the rotation until at least the All-Star break. His next start will be in Florida against the Marlins.
It has been 59 games since the Mets won two in a row on April 16-17. The all-time record is 80 games by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1915.
Young lost to Montreal for the fifth time during the streak. The Expos were also the last team he beat, on April 19, 1992.
Young, whose losing streak has come to symbolize the Mets' downfall, was cheered by the fans when the starting lineup was announced.
From the start, though, it was not his night. Delino DeShields grounded Young's first pitch up the middle for a hit.
Errors by first baseman Eddie Murray and Saunders led to pitcher Chris Nabholz's RBI grounder and DeShields' two-run single in the second.
An error by shortstop Tim Bogar helped the Expos score two more runs in the fifth. Moises Alou homered in the sixth.
The Mets lost for the seventh time in eight games. Their 21-48 record is the worst in the majors.
by CNB