Mike Pelfrey outpitched All-Star Tim Lincecum to win his fifth straight start, Carlos Beltran drove in four runs and the surging New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 7-0 on Tuesday night.

Beltran hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Carlos Delgado also connected off Lincecum (10-2) to help the Mets win their fourth in a row. After taking the final three contests of a four-game series in Philadelphia last weekend, New York is suddenly only 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Phillies in the NL East.

Two of the three hits Pelfrey (7-6) allowed over seven sharp innings were infield singles. He struck out five and walked none in a dominant performance, pushing the Mets (46-44) two games above .500 for the first time since May 20.

Fernando Tatis added a 450-foot solo homer in the eighth off Kevin Correia. Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith each worked a perfect inning to complete New York's third shutout this season.

Blanked for the sixth time, the Giants were outhit 14-3.

Lincecum, selected to his first All-Star team Sunday, allowed a season-high nine hits in six innings. He struck out four, increasing his NL-high total to 126.

The 24-year-old right-hander was 6-0 in 12 starts since his other loss, 3-2 against Colorado on April 29.

Pelfrey is also 24. He hasn't emerged as quickly as Lincecum, but the 6-foot-7 right-hander appears to be coming into his own this summer. Continued...