NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates Send Mets Even Lower, 10-8

Pete Schourek gave up six runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 16-pitch span of the fourth inning Tuesday night at New York, and the Pirates held on to beat the Mets, 10-8.

For the Mets, it was another long night in their miserable skid. They have lost five consecutive games, eight of nine and 18 of 22. They are 12-25, 15 games behind division-leading Philadelphia and three games behind the expansion Florida Marlins. It’s the same record New York had after 37 games in its expansion season of 1962, when they finished 40-120.

Dave Otto (2-2) gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings as Pittsburgh took a 9-3 lead.

New York, which had a season-high in hits, rallied with three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth before Stan Belinda got four outs for his eighth save.

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San Francisco 7, Houston 2--John Burkett pitched a seven-hitter to become the National League’s first seven-game winner to lead the Giants past the Astros at San Francisco.

After giving up a run in the first, Burkett (7-0) gave up only two hits, both by Jeff Bagwell, over the next five innings. He struck out six en route to the Giants’ first complete game of the season.

Matt Williams and Royce Clayton drove in two runs apiece for San Francisco.

The Giants broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth, scoring five runs with two outs after starter Darryl Kile (2-1) hit a pair of batters.

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Colorado 2, San Diego 1--Charlie Hayes hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning to lift the Rockies at San Diego, ending Colorado’s seven-game losing streak.

Vinny Castilla hit a leadoff double into the right-field corner, took third on Dante Bichette’s single and scored on Hayes’ fly to left field.

Reliever Gary Wayne (1-2) inherited a bases-loaded situation with one out in the 10th inning, but retired the next two batters. Darren Holmes, pitched the 11th for his third save.

Rich Rodriguez (1-2) gave up three hits in less than an inning of work.

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Chicago 4, St. Louis 1--Derrick May and Ryne Sandberg combined for four hits and three runs batted-in to lead the Cubs at St. Louis.

May had a two-run single in the first and doubled and scored on Steve Buechele’s sacrifice fly in the fifth.

That was enough for Frank Castillo (1-1), who needed seven starts to win his first game.

Omar Olivares (1-1) gave up four runs in five innings.

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Philadelphia 6, Florida 0--Tommy Greene pitched his second consecutive complete game and Darren Daulton hit a two-run homer to lift the Phillies at Miami.

It was Greene’s fourth career shutout. He struck out 10 and lowered his National League-leading earned-run average to 1.98.

In the first seven innings, Greene (5-0) gave up only two infield hits and a check-swing single. He gave up two hits and a walk in the eighth, but a double play kept the Marlins from scoring.

Jack Armstrong (3-4) matched Greene until the fourth, when Daulton’s 10th home run gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

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Montreal 1, Atlanta 0--Gil Heredia, called up from the minors before the game, pitched six innings and John Vander Wal drove in the game’s only run with a single to lift the Expos at Atlanta.

Heredia (1-0) gave up four hits, struck out seven and walked one in 6 1/3 innings. John Wetteland pitched 1 2/3 innings for his fifth save.

Vander Wal drove in the Expos’ run in the sixth with a two-out single against Pete Smith (2-3).