NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Burkett, Going Distance, Gets 18th

The way John Burkett was going, San Francisco Manager Dusty Baker never considered bringing in a relief pitcher.

Burkett pitched his most dominating game of the season, blanking the Cincinnati Reds on four hits Wednesday as the Giants swept the three-game series with a 6-0 victory at San Francisco. The victory makes Burkett the National League’s first 18-game winner this season.

“He gave the bullpen some rest,” Baker said. “You know it’s Burkett’s day when he walks twice.”

Staked to a 4-0 lead after the second inning, Burkett (18-4) held the Reds hitless until the sixth, when Jacob Brumfield blooped a single to left with one out. Despite losing his no-hit bid and giving up two singles to lead off the seventh, Burkett showed no signs of tiring, retiring the next seven batters.

Burkett struck out eight and walked two in winning his fifth straight. He didn’t allow a runner past second base.

Florida 12, Chicago 11--The Marlins scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to set a franchise record for runs and a cap a wild victory over the Cubs at Miami.

The Marlins, tying their longest winning streak at four in a row, entered the ninth trailing, 11-10.

Walt Weiss walked to lead off the inning and moved to third on a single by Henry Cotto. He scored on Jeff Conine’s sacrifice fly. Cotto, who had stolen second, advanced to third on the fly ball and then scored on Gary Sheffield’s single.

Atlanta 4, New York 2--Greg Maddux scattered six hits and Jeff Blauser hit his 11th homer of the season to lead the Braves at New York.

Maddux, beating the Mets for the fifth consecutive time over two seasons, raised his lifetime mark against New York to 16-9. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter in working his fifth complete game of the season--his third against the Mets.

Blauser’s game-winning homer came with one out in the sixth inning on the first pitch off Sid Fernandez.

Pittsburgh 8, St. Louis 6--Lonnie Smith and Al Martin homered in the eighth inning as the Pirates rallied for the victory at Pittsburgh.

Smith, who also hit a two-run homer in the fourth, tied the game, 6-6, with his seventh home run of the year. Kevin Young singled with one out, and then Martin hit his eighth homer of the season.

St. Louis’ Mark Whiten hit a 464-foot homer in the sixth--the first home run by an opposing player into Three Rivers Stadium’s right field upper deck.

Philadelphia 6, Montreal 5--Mariano Duncan’s bad-hop single over a drawn-in infield in the ninth inning gave the Phillies the victory at Philadelphia.

Milt Thompson walked to open the ninth, stole second and continued to third when catcher Darrin Fletcher’s throw went into center field for an error. Lenny Dykstra was intentionally walked after working a 3-2 count. Duncan then bounced a single into left off John Wetteland (7-3), who had come on to start the inning.

Houston 9, San Diego 6--Eric Anthony hit a three-run home run and Scott Servais and Andujar Cedeno also homered off Andy Benes in a five-run fifth inning that carried the Astros at San Diego.

Leading, 6-3, Benes (13-8) slipped and fell on his back while making his warm-up pitches before the fifth. He then gave up homers to Servais, his 10th, and Cedeno, his sixth, to start the inning.

Craig Biggio and Steve Finley both singled with one out before Anthony hit a line-drive over the right-field fence for his 13th homer. Benes walked Ken Caminiti before Pedro Martinez came on to retire Luis Gonzalez.

Benes, who wasn’t injured in the fall, gave up eight runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.