NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Giants Slow the Braves’ Pace

The Atlanta Braves are chasing the Dodgers in the West, but for the second consecutive day, the San Francisco Giants forced the Braves to lose ground.

John Burkett won his fourth consecutive decision Thursday as the Giants beat the Braves, 8-1, at Atlanta.

The loss, coupled with the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory over Cincinnati, dropped the Braves 4 1/2 games behind and gave the Giants a split in the four-game series.

“San Francisco was the hottest team in the league coming in, so I guess it’s OK to split,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said. “But after winning the first two, you feel greedy and want the next two.”

Burkett (9-5) gave up eight hits, struck out five and walked one in eight innings to help the fourth-place Giants remain nine games behind the Dodgers.

Tom Glavine (14-7) gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out six but also walked six, including Willie McGee with the bases loaded in the second inning.

Will Clark drove in a run with a single in the sixth and hit a two-run homer, his 22nd, in the seventh.

Darren Lewis led off the game with a triple and scored on McGee’s single. The Braves tied the score in their first when Otis Nixon walked and later came home on Ron Gant’s single.

Rob Thompson opened the second with a double and scored on McGee’s walk for a 2-1 lead.

New York 4, Pittsburgh 3--The Mets pulled to within 5 1/2 games of the first-place Pirates behind Frank Viola’s strong performance at New York.

Viola (12-8) pitched eight-plus innings, giving up two runs and six hits. He struck out six and walked one in ending his three-game losing streak.

Viola improved his record against the Pirates at Shea Stadium to 3-0 and lowered his earned-run average in home starts against them to 0.75. John Franco got his 22nd save.

The Mets loaded the bases with two out in the seventh and Howard Johnson drew a walk from Bob Patterson for what turned out to be the game-winning run.

The Pirates finished their 14-game trip 4-10, and have lost 10 of 12.

“We had an awful trip,” Pirate Manager Jim Leyland said. “But I’m proud of this club. We’re fortunate to go home in the shape we’re in.”

Doug Drabek (10-11) gave up three runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings, his shortest stint since going 1 1/3 innings against the Mets on June 4, 1989.

Bobby Bonilla hit his 14th homer for the Pirates.

Philadelphia 11, Chicago 1--Charlie Hayes drove in a career-high four runs at Philadelphia to help the Phillies win their ninth consecutive game, the team’s longest winning streak since 1984, when they won 10 in a row.

Hayes, a third baseman who entered the game with a .200 average, singled home a run in the first and hit a three-run double in the fourth as the Phillies swept a three-game series from the Cubs for the first time since 1987.

Hayes had been benched by Manager Jim Fregosi because of his ineffectiveness at the plate. He returned to the lineup in Montreal last weekend when Dave Hollins was sidelined with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.

Danny Cox (4-4) pitched seven innings for the Phillies, giving up one run and five hits.

Danny Jackson (1-3), making his second start for the Cubs since coming off the disabled list with an abdominal strain, gave up five runs and five hits in three innings.

San Diego 5, Houston 3--Tony Gwynn had three RBIs for the Padres at Houston, including two on a third-inning single that gave the Padres a 4-0 lead.

Andy Benes (7-10) gave up two runs on six hits in six innings for the win. He has given up only three runs in his last 28 innings. Craig Lefferts pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 22 chances.