SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants' winning streak is very much alive, thanks to two homers by Bobby Estalella.

But all it took was one swing by Mark McGwire to end the Giants' scoreless innings streak.

Estalella hit a three-run homer and added a solo shot, and Livan Hernandez pitched his second straight strong game, as the Giants defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Monday night to win their seventh straight.

After losing seven of the first eight games at their new Pacific Bell Park, the Giants have won seven straight at home. Combined with the Dodgers' loss to Arizona, the Giants have moved from last to second in the NL West in a week.

St. Louis' first run was a 430-foot homer by McGwire, his 12th of the season and the 534th of his career -- tying him with Jimmie Foxx for ninth on the career list, two behind Mickey Mantle.

"McGwire is amazing and we never take (his feats) for granted," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "But the game is between two teams and the one that scores the most runs has a nice day. The other thing is just an asterisk."

McGwire, who has homered in nine of his last 14 games, homered into the right-center bleachers in the sixth inning off Hernandez. It was the 36th major league park in which McGwire has homered, tying Fred McGriff for the career record.

The homer broke a 26-inning scoreless streak by Giants pitchers, the longest such streak for San Francisco since a run of 30 straight scoreless innings from July 5-9, 1988.

"If anybody is going to end it, it would be Big Mac," Giants manager Dusty Baker said.

The Giants had not allowed a run since Mike Piazza's homer for the New York Mets in the sixth inning Thursday. San Francisco shut out Colorado on Friday and Saturday, and was rained out against the Rockies on Sunday.

In the seventh, pinch-hitter Larry Sutton hit another solo homer off Hernandez. Fernando Vina and Edgar Renteria then singled to knock out Hernandez, but Alan Embree relieved and struck out Ray Lankford.

J.D. Drew hit a two-run homer off John Johnstone in the eighth to pull the Cardinals within 5-4, but Johnstone worked out of the inning and Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his fifth save in seven chances, with Renteria lining into a game-ending double play.

Hernandez (2-4) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out six. He said he still felt strong in the seventh, but understood why Baker took him out.

"I still felt good, but I know this team has a good bullpen," Hernandez said. "So if I can pitch six or seven good innings, that's fine."

Estalella hit his three-run homer in the second inning and added a solo shot, his fifth homer of the season, in the eighth. Bill Mueller had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and J.T. Snow added an RBI single in the seventh.

Cardinals starter Pat Hentgen (3-4), allowed four runs, five hits and five walks in six innings. Hentgen has lost four straight starts, matching his career worst, after winning his first three starts of the season.

Hentgen said Estalella's first homer was the pitch he regretted most.

"I had a chance to get out of the inning and didn't make the pitch," he said. "I left it on a tee."

It was the second time in a week that Estalella had a big homer to support Hernandez. Last Tuesday, Estalella hit a grand slam as Hernandez beat the Mets 7-1.

Giants right fielder Ellis Burks re-aggravated a strained left quadriceps muscle that forced him out of the starting lineup for a week. Burks, who made his second start since April 28 on Monday, said he expects to be out a couple of days with the injury.

Game notes
McGwire's 12 homers tie him with Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and Steve Finley of the Arizona Diamondbacks, both of whom also homered Monday, for the NL lead. ... Hentgen has allowed four earned runs in each of his four losses. ... San Francisco's Barry Bonds was thrown out trying to steal second in the first inning, the first time he's been caught stealing in six attempts this season. He also was thrown out in the eighth. ... Bonds, who walked twice, went 0-for-2 and is hitless in 13 at-bats. ... Sutton hit the Cardinals' third pinch-hit homer. Shawon Dunston and Thomas Howard also have pinch-hit homers this season. ... Six of Drew's 19 hits this season have been homers.