Giants Handle Phillies Again : Baseball: Burkett becomes National League’s first 14-game winner and Bonds hits 27th home run in 4-1 victory.

Fed up with the way he’d pitched lately, John Burkett decided it was time for a change.

The San Francisco Giants pitcher took the mound against Philadelphia on Thursday with a more serious attitude and a sharper fastball. Both worked to shut down the Phillies, ending their winning streak at four games.

Burkett allowed five hits and became the National League’s first 14-game winner with a 4-1 victory.

“The last three times I stepped to the mound, I didn’t pitch well,” he said after matching his 1992 win total. “I just felt more intense and more serious about today’s game. I had good concentration today.”

Burkett had given up 18 hits in his last two starts, both losses. In between, he took the loss for the National League in the All-Star game.

“He had his stuff back together again,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said. “He had a better fastball and better command of his pitches. This team (Philadelphia) hits fastballs, so he was spotting it well.”

Burkett (14-4) held the Phillies to five hits through 7 1-3 innings. He walked three, one intentionally, and struck out six.

The right-hander left the game after giving up a one-out RBI single to John Kruk. Mike Jackson came in with runners on first and second and retired the Phillies’ two leading RBI men, Dave Hollins and Darren Daulton.

Rod Beck pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 29 opportunities.

Burkett’s pitching and Barry Bonds’ 27th homer gave San Francisco its fourth straight victory and put the Giants 33 games over .500 for the first time since 1962, when they finished 41 games over and went to the World Series.

The best team in baseball also continued its domination of the Phillies, who have the second-best record. San Francisco is 6-3 against Philadelphia this season.

“There are no weaknesses there -- at least I don’t know of any,” said Jim Eisenreich, who went 0-for-4, of the Giants. “They’re kind of beating up on us.”

Bonds took over the major league lead in homers when he started the second against Terry Mulholland (9-8) by lining a shot over the right field fence. One out later, Kirt Manwaring hit his second -- off the left field foul pole.

The Giants, who have scored 45 runs in their last five games against Phillies pitching, kept Mulholland winless in his last five starts.

“Terry made two mistakes -- a fastball to Bonds and a breaking ball to Manwaring,” Phillies manager Jim Fregosi said.