NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Giants Win 11th in a Row, 8-1

Rookie pitcher Paul McClellan was worried because he didn’t want to be responsible for ending the San Francisco Giants’ winning streak.

There is no need for any Giant pitcher to worry as long as Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark keep hitting.

Mitchell and Clark homered to lead a 17-hit attack at Cincinnati Thursday night that carried the Giants to their 11th victory in a row, 8-1 over the Reds.

McClellan (2-0) wound up getting the victory that gave the Giants their longest winning streak in 25 years. He pitched a seven-hitter for his first complete game in the major leagues.

The Giants’ offense has made great things happen in the past two weeks. San Francisco is averaging 5.4 runs a game during the streak, with the “Big Three” of Mitchell, Clark and Matt Williams all hitting well.

“It’s good to see the three of us in the lineup doing something,” said Mitchell, who had a three-run home run among his four hits.

Willie McGee joined them Thursday, coming off the disabled list to get three hits and drive in a run.

The Reds’ offense has been dangerous lately, too, hitting .336 in its past seven games. But they managed only seven hits and three walks off McClellan to lose for the 16th time in 21 games.

The Giants are a half-game behind the third-place Reds, who trail the Dodgers by 8 1/2 games in the National League West.

St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 3--Jose Oquendo had three hits and drove in three runs at St. Louis as the Cardinals handed the Pirates their sixth loss in a row.

All six defeats have come on the road for Pittsburgh, which still has the major league’s best road record, 31-20.

Oquendo’s two-run single capped a four-run fifth-inning rally against Randy Tomlin (6-4). He added an RBI single in the seventh against Bob Patterson.

Omar Olivares (4-3) worked 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. Scott Terry got the Cardinals out of sixth-inning trouble when he got Jose Lind to hit into an inning-ending double play. Lee Smith worked the ninth for his league-leading 28th save.

Philadelphia 4, Montreal 1--There was no suspense for Mark Gardner this time. The Expo pitcher, who threw nine no-hit innings against the Dodgers before losing in the 10th in his previous start, gave up a leadoff hit to Lenny Dykstra on his second pitch.

Gardner (5-8) lasted only six innings and gave up all four runs at Montreal. Wes Chamberlain hit his third three-run homer in two games and Terry Mulholland pitched a three-hitter for the Phillies.

Mulholland (10-10) struck out seven and walked one in his third complete game.