NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates Get Three in 16th to Win 11th in Row, 4-2

Jeff King singled home the go-ahead run in the 16th inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates won their 11th consecutive game, beating the New York Mets, 4-2, Monday night at New York.

The Pirates, who maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over Montreal in the East, have their longest winning streak since winning 11 in a row in 1978. Their all-time record is 16 in 1909.

The Mets lost their seventh consecutive game to fall 12 1/2 games behind the Pirates.

Andy Van Slyke singled leading off the 16th off Lee Guetterman (2-2) and moved to second on Cecil Espy’s sacrifice. Barry Bonds was then issued the ninth intentional walk of the game before King broke the tie with a single to center. Jose Lind and winning pitcher Steve Cooke added run-scoring singles.

Cooke (1-0), making his second appearance for Pittsburgh, pitched two innings to get his first major league victory. He allowed Bill Pecota’s two-out homer in the bottom of the 16th.

The Mets loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the 12th against Bob Patterson but Kevin Bass, who was hitless in seven at-bats, hit a fly ball to center.

Rookie knuckleballer Tim Wakefield had a one-hitter and a 1-0 lead in the seventh when Willie Randolph doubled and scored on pinch-hitter Chico Walker’s bloop single to tie the score.

Van Slyke gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead when he hit his eighth homer with one out in the sixth off Pete Schourek, who gave up one run and six hits in eight innings.

The Pirates are 9-1 against the Mets this season, 4-0 at New York.

San Francisco 4, Houston 1--Will Clark hit his 12th homer and drove in three runs as the Giants beat the Astros in their first game at San Francisco since the announcement of plans for a move to Florida.

Clark hit a two-run homer in the third inning following Robby Thompson’s RBI double. Clark added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to back a six-hitter by John Burkett (9-6), who struck out three and walked none.

Butch Henry (3-8) gave up four runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings for Houston.

Montreal 11, Chicago 0--Brian Barnes and two relief pitchers blanked the Cubs on eight hits and the Expos scored six runs in the third inning at Chicago.

Pittsburgh, Montreal won for the seventh time in nine games and ended Chicago’s seven-game home winning streak.

Barnes (4-3) gave up six hits, struck out five and walked none in 7 2/3 innings. Bill Sampen worked one-third of an inning and Jeff Fassero pitched the ninth.

Marquis Grissom, Moises Alou and Larry Walker started the Montreal third with singles to make it 2-0 and knock out Jeff Robinson (2-1). The Cubs helped with two errors and two wild pitches in the inning.