European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 c the stars and stripes wednesday april 15, 1992phils extend mets loss skein by the associated press new York a Jeff Torborg a first week As manager of the new York mets is not going As expected. In fact the last mets manager to have this much trouble at Home to Start the season was Casey Stengel. Rookie Ruben Amaro had two hits and scored two runs As the Philadelphia Phillies beat new York 3-2 monday night keeping the mets wingless at Home. The Metsy 0-4 Start at Home is their worst since going 0-7 at the Polo grounds in 1962, their first season. New York went on to a 40-120 record that season a major league Mark for losses. A we played a crisper game than Over the weekend a Torborg said. A a that a the Only  the mets were swept by Montreal Over the weekend outscored 21-4 in the three games. The mets thought they had tied the Phillies in the Bottom of the ninth when Bobby Bonilla hit a Long drive to left. But it hit High off the Fence for a double and Howard Johnson hit a Fly Ball to left Field to end the game. Amaro filling in for the injured Lenny Dykstra in Center Field has seven hits in seven games including three Home runs and three doubles. A i just want to help the team while Lenny is out a said Amaro a Phillies Bat boy in his youth. A the Ball is just jumping off my Bat. Its very  Amaro walked leading off the game against Sid Fernandez 0-2stole second and scored when Mariano Duncan doubled. Duncan scored the second run of the inning on Dale Murphy sri single. Bill Pecota tied the score 2-2 with a two out two run single in the third off Tommy Greene. Greene left after three innings because of shoulder stiffness allowing three  league Curt Schilling 1-0 replaced Greene and gave up three hits while striking out five in three innings. Barry Jones pitched two innings and Mitch Williams worked the ninth for his first save. Dick Schofield went l-for-4 in his debut at shortstop for the mets. He was acquired from California on sunday for Pitcher Julio Valera. In other games monday astros 8, dodgers 3 Houston a Orel Hershiser is. Darryl Kile a Likely mismatch. Right Hershiser the 1988 by Young award Winner who has been pitching the Way he did Back then against a Young Houston astros Pitcher who had never beaten the dodgers. Kile and the astros did t recognize the lopsided matchup. Kile struck out four and walked five before leaving in the seventh inning of an 8-3 Victory monday night that handed los Angeles its fourth consecutive defeat. A a it a a Good feeling just to win a game a said Kile who also got his first major league hit after going 0 for 38. A it did no to even think about the hit. I was just surprised that it got through. The Guys have been razing me for a year about  the hit a single in a six run first inning really damaged Hershiser who had won six in a Row a when you make bad pitches you re going to have bad results a Hershiser said. A i made bad pitches in the first inning and it snowballed. We did no to get anybody out and those runs just kept on  they began coming As Craig Biggio singled and Steve Finley walked to Start the game. They both scored on Jeff Bagwell a double. After Hershiser hit Pete Incaviglia with a pitch Ken Caminiti reached base on a fielders Choice scoring Bagwell. Eddie Taubensee singled and Hershiser hit Andujar Cedeno with a pitch before Kilets hit. Caminiti and Taubensee scored on the hit and Cedeno also scored on Eric Davis throwing error. A a we be got to play defense As Well As offence a dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said. A a we be got to think defense in the Field and when we re in the dugout we think  Doug Jones earned his second save with 1 1-3 innings of Relief for Houston which dropped the visiting dodgers 2-5 into the no West  5, braves 4 Cincinnati a John Smoltz lost for the first time since aug. 15 As the reds rocked him for five runs in three innings. Tim Belcher 1-1 struck out 10 to end another braves Streak. Atlanta had won its last six games at riverfront stadium going 8-1 there last year. Deion Sanders had the first four hit game of his career for Atlanta increasing his average to .433. Smoltz 1-1 simply did no to have it ending his Streak of seven consecutive regular season wins. The right hander gave up five hits and three walks in just 2 1-3 innings his shortest appearance since last july 6. Sanders had a pair of triples a double and a single off Belcher. Norm Charlton pitched the ninth for his fourth save in five opportunities. Bulls dip Hawks As knee problem sidelines Jordan by the associated press Chicago a Michael Jordan playing less than half the game because of tendinitis in his left knee has the playoffs on his mind in a different Way than the Atlanta Hawks do. The Chicago bulls although their starters All played less than 30 minutes damaged the a Day night with a 100 Atlanta fell into a tie with Idle Miami for the final playoff spot in the Eastern conference. New Jersey beat Orlando 110-104 to break a tie with the Hawks and pull even with Indiana for the sixth. Law so playoff Hopes Mon -93 decision. Aba Jordan the leagues leading scorer with a 30-Point average played 23 minutes and scored a season Low 12 Points. He said he would not accompany the team to Cleveland for tuesday nights game. The bulls with a 65-14 record already have clinched Home court advantage throughout the playoffs. A if it was the playoffs id be playing Quot said Jordan adding that the decision to skip the Cavaliers game was made after mondays game when coach Phil Jackson asked him if he wanted tuesday off. A i said yes Quot said Jordan whose Only other miss of a game this season was at Phoenix because of a suspension. Jordan said some pain was Felt during warmups. Quot its not an aggravated pain Quot he noted. Quot its like when you push off like someone sticking a Needle in  against the Hawks no bulls starter played More than 29 minutes. After looking at the Box score of the game Atlanta coach Bob Weiss said a we got beat by a ghost a the ghost of the Chicago bulls. We  beat their second team. We did no to make our free throws 19 of 26 and  convert on the break. We were tight. Too  Scottie Pippen scored 16 Points and Reserve guard . Armstrong had 15 for the bulls. In other games monday night lakers 100, nuggets 93 Inglewood Calif. Terry Teagle scored 27 Points As los Angeles stayed alive in the Aba playoff race and extended Denver a losing Streak to a club record 11 games. After the nuggets started the game with a 13-4 run the lakers recovered for a 50-30 Lead in the second Quarter then survived a Denver rally in the second half. It was the 12th straight win Over the nuggets Overall and seventh in a Row at the forum for los Angeles which is tied with the Houston rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western conference. Winston Garland sat out the game with a hype extended right Elbow for the nuggets who were led by Marcus Liberty with 24 Points. Denver a previous record losing Streak of 10 was set last season. Liberty a 18-footer closed Denver to 8583 with 7 18 left. But Elden Campbell drove the right Baseline for a three Point play highlighting a 9-0 run that put los Angeles ahead 94-83 with 4 28  110, magic 104 Orlando Fla. Drazen Petrovic scored eight of his 29 Points in the final three minutes As new Jersey took another step towards its first Aba playoff berth since 1986 by defeating Orlando. The nets 38-41 play their next two games against other teams trying to make the playoffs at Miami on tuesday and at the Meadowlands against the pacers on thursday. The magic were led by Anthony Bowie s 24 Points and 23 from to Rev oat Vlade Divac of the lakers stretches to Block the shot of nuggets Reggie Williams ledge. Chris Morris scored 17 Points for the nets. Petrovic hit a Short inside jumper with 7 44 left to give new Jersey its first Lead in the second half. 89-88. After that the Lead changed six times anti there were three ties before Petrovic hit two free throws and added a Field Goa in a 26-second Span to give the nets a 100 99 Lead. New Jersey then scored on its next fou possessions including a jump shot and twi free throws by Petrovic in the final 31 Sec ends