Anthony Young turned 44 last week, but all anyone can remember is that he lost 27 games in a row at one point. The photo above was taken on 7/24/1993, the day Young lost #27.

The Mets and Dodgers were knotted at four after seven innings at Dodger Stadium. Young came on in a double switch in the top of the eighth and allowed just a single to Jose Offerman before retiring the side and sending the game to the ninth. The Mets did nothing in their half of the inning against Jim Gott and Young kept things rolling with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

The Mets were again set down by Gott in the tenth, and Jody Reed led off the home frame with a weak infield single to Jeff McKnight at third. Henry Rodriguez hit a legitimate single that moved Reed to second, and after Brett Butler sacrificed the runners to second and third, Jose Offerman was intentionally walked to load the bases. Eric Davis lined out to second baseman Jeff Kent for the second out, but Young walked pinch hitter Dave Hansen on a 3-1 pitch to force in Reed with the winning run.

Four days later, Young was on the verge of loss #28 after he allowed an unearned run in the top of the ninth in a game against the Marlins at Shea. The Mets rallied to tie the game at four on an RBI single by Ryan Thompson, and two batters later Eddie Murray delivered a game-winning double down the line to score Thompson with the winning run. For at least one day, random variation and the vagaries of baseball fortune lined up for Anthony Young, who finally walked off the field a winner.

Incidentally, in that game against the Dodgers, five future Mets appeared for Los Angeles: Offerman, Butler, Pedro Martinez, Pedro Astacio, and Lenny Harris.

Just 19 days to go until pitchers and catchers.