NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Portugal, Strawberry Power the Giants Past Rockies, 6-4

If this really is a pennant race, the San Francisco Giants are putting on as much pressure as possible.

Mark Portugal pitched effectively for eight innings and hit a two-run double, and Darryl Strawberry hit a home run Saturday, leading the Giants to a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Candlestick Park.

“I feel I’m getting too much credit,” Strawberry said. “I just want to fit in. I want it to be ‘us’ as a team. It’s nice for me to be playing and getting comfortable with baseball again.”

The victory was the Giants’ 16th in 20 games. San Francisco, which was 9 1/2 games behind the Dodgers on July 7, stayed one game behind after the Dodgers victory over Houston.

Portugal (10-7), who has hit safely in 13 of 20 starts, capped a three-run rally in the fourth inning with a double.

“It was a big hit,” he said. “It gave us a little cushion when we needed it. A lot of it has to do with luck. I just happened to get the good part of the bat on the ball and kept it between the lines. I basically just tried to put the ball in play.”

Portugal gave up nine hits and four runs, three earned, in eight innings. Rod Beck pitched the ninth for his 25th save in as many tries, his 67th in his last 69 opportunities. Last year, Beck set a league record with 24 consecutive saves.

Strawberry, who joined the Giants on July 7, made a fourth-inning error in right field but had a double and his third home run, a solo shot in the fifth.

The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the second against Kevin Ritz (4-5). Matt Williams singled and went to third on Strawberry’s double. After Todd Benzinger walked to load the bases, Williams scored on Royce Clayton’s groundout. Strawberry then scored on Ritz’s wild pitch.

Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 2--Lenny Dykstra hit a two-run triple to highlight a four-run rally in the ninth inning at Atlanta.

The Phillies battered reliever Greg McMichael (5-3) for four consecutive hits in the ninth to send the Braves to their eighth loss in 13 games. McMichael, who started the ninth protecting a 2-1 lead, has blown nine saves in 29 chances.

Heathcliff Slocumb (5-1) pitched one scoreless inning of relief and Doug Jones earned his 27th save by getting the final three outs.

Kim Batiste beat out an infield single in the ninth, and Mike Lieberthal doubled. Pinch-hitter Mickey Morandini blooped a single to right, scoring Batiste with the tying run.

Montreal 7, Florida 3--Sean Berry drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh and hit a three-run triple in the ninth at Miami. The first-place Expos have won 10 of 11 to open a 3 1/2-game lead over the Braves.

Rondell White and Marquis Grissom hit home runs for the Expos, who sent the Marlins to their fifth consecutive loss. Tim Scott (5-2) was the winner and Mark Gardner (3-4) the loser.

Pittsburgh 3, New York 2--Pinch-hitter Lloyd McClendon singled over a five-man infield with the bases loaded and none out in the 10th inning after Carlos Garcia doubled and Roger Mason (2-5) walked Jay Bell.

Dan Miceli (2-0) pitched one scoreless inning for the victory at Pittsburgh. Bret Saberhagen was one out away from stretching his winning streak to six but gave up an RBI single to Steve Pegues that tied the score.

Cincinnati 7, San Diego 6--Jeff Branson hit a two-run home run and Bret Boone went three for four with two RBIs as the Reds won at San Diego.

Pete Schourek (6-2) pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up one run on nine hits, with six strikeouts and one walk. Jeff Brantley pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for his 12th save, giving up one hit.

Branson hit his home run to right field in the second against Andy Ashby (4-11), who has lost five starts in a row and is 0-6 lifetime against Cincinnati.

St. Louis 10, Chicago 7--Gregg Jefferies hit a two-run home run as Bob Tewksbury and the Cardinals ended slumps in the game at St. Louis.

Jefferies had three hits, including his 11th homer, as the Cardinals stopped a six-game losing streak. St. Louis had lost 19 of its previous 28 home games. Tewksbury (11-10) gave up six runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings to stop his three-game skid.

Willie Banks (8-10) gave up seven runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Banks is 0-4 in his last five starts with an 11.31 ERA.