A Giant Leap for Strawberry : Baseball: San Francisco is 8-0 since the former Dodger outfielder joined the team.

Darryl Strawberry and the San Francisco Giants have proved to be a winning combination.

“He’s definitely picked us up,” Manager Dusty Baker said Sunday after the Giants beat the Montreal Expos, 6-4. It was San Francisco’s eighth consecutive victory--all since Strawberry joined the club.

“We knew he could help us and that we could help him. He’s just happy to be playing again.

“When you see such exuberance from a a veteran, it has a positive influence on the club.”

Strawberry has helped the Giants make up five games on the first-place Dodgers in the National League West. San Francisco began play Monday in third place, 4 1/2 games back.

Strawberry’s performance with the Giants is being compared to Fred McGriff’s effect upon Atlanta last season after the first baseman joined the Braves following a trade from San Diego.

McGriff sparked the Braves to a 51-17 record after June 20, when they trailed the Giants by 7 1/2 games, and beat San Francisco by one game for the division title.

Can Strawberry do the same for San Francisco?

“He’s a big presence behind Barry (Bonds) and Matt (Williams),” Baker said. “And he’s getting big hits, too.

“We’d like to get back in the race as soon as possible. We can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but it’s not high-noon either.”

Rookie William VanLandingham pitched no-hit ball through 7 1/3 innings, leaving after Lenny Webster doubled and Mike Lansing walked. Rod Beck got four outs for his 20th save.

Williams led the Giants with a two-run homer, his 34th, in the first against Jeff Fassero. Todd Benzinger contributed a two-run double, while Bonds and Strawberry each drove in a run.

Bonds went 10 for 19 in the series with two two-homer games and seven RBIs. Strawberry went nine for 17 with two homers, including a grand slam, and seven RBIs.

“All I wanted to do when I started playing again was get comfortable,” Strawberry said. “It’s coming. It’s almost there.”

The Giants got 47 hits in posting their first four-game sweep at Montreal since Aug. 11-14, 1975.

The victory also gave them an eight-game winning streak for the first time since July 20-Aug. 1, 1991, when they won 11 in a row.

“We’re still in third place, there’s a long way to go,” Williams said. “We need to keep winning and put pressure on the other teams.

“It’s not a coincidence that we’ve been winning since (Strawberry) has been here, but that’s because of the way he’s swinging the bat. One or two guys can’t do it alone everyday. Everybody’s got to contribute.”

Strawberry entered the series with only an infield hit in 11 at-bats in his first four games at Candlestick Park.

Before signing with the Giants, Strawberry was “seconds away” from signing with Montreal.

“I liked Kevin (Malone, the Expo general manager) a lot,” said Strawberry, who has a history of success hitting at Olympic Stadium.

“It was difficult to choose. I continued to think about it all that night (before signing).

“But who knows what the future holds? I’ll be a free agent at the end of the year.”

Strawberry began the season as a member of the Dodgers, but during the first week of April admitted he had a substance abuse problem and was admitted to the Betty Ford Rehabilitation Clinic in Palm Desert, Calif. Later, he was released by the Dodgers.

“I was ready to retire and be with my family after the Dodgers released me,” Strawberry said.

That’s when Baker called and convinced him to play for the Giants.

“Baseball is more fun now that my head is clear,” Strawberry said. “Life is better now than I ever thought it could be.”