Giants Overcome Homer by Piazza

Russ Ortiz surrendered a three-run homer to New York’s Mike Piazza in the first inning and not much else in pitching the Giants to a 7-3 win Tuesday night that brought them to within a game of the Mets in the National League’s wild-card race.

The homer was Piazza’s 15th against San Francisco.

Barry Bonds and Ellis Burks homered for San Francisco, which won its fourth game in a row.

The Mets, starting a nine-game West Coast trip, lost their third in a row.

The Chicago Cubs, who lost at Cincinnati, also are one game back.

Ortiz (2-3), whose two major league wins are over the Mets, gave up six hits in seven innings, struck out eight and walked one.

Bonds hit his 27th homer in the bottom half off Rick Reed (15-8) and Marvin Benard hit an RBI double in the third.

Sacrifice flies by Burks in the fourth and Jeff Kent in the fifth gave the Giants a 4-3 lead.

Burks led off the sixth with his 18th homer. Dennis Cook relieved with the bases loaded and none out, giving up Benard’s sacrifice fly and Bonds’ RBI single.

Reed, who had won four consecutive starts, failed to pitch at least six innings for the first time in 10 starts since June 30. He gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings.

Tony Phillips drew a leadoff walk in the first and John Olerud’s potential double-play grounder with one out bounced off second baseman Jeff Kent’s glove for an error. Piazza followed with an opposite-field shot, his 24th homer.