(My Sportsbook) - The San Francisco Giants are heading into uncharted territory. Unfortunately, Felipe Alou's team is in a unfavorable situation, trying to stop a season high-tying three-game slide.

After winning their first seven games of the season and plowing through most of their opponents in April, the Giants have faltered recently. The team had another six-game winning streak earlier this month, but have since dropped two straight to Atlanta; and last night Alou's squad lost his former team, the Montreal Expos. A crowd of 33,071, the smallest in Pac Bell history, saw the game.

Rich Aurilia finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and Benito Santiago poked two hits and scored for San Francisco.

Damian Moss (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season. He tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits with three walks.

Alou, in his first season as the Giants' skipper, managed against his former team on his 68th birthday. He served at the helm in Montreal for 10 seasons before being fired during the 2001 campaign. Meanwhile, Frank Robinson, the Montreal manager, used to manage the Giants.

"Tell him I said happy birthday," Robinson said after the game last night. "But I didn't bring him a gift. Tell him, 'Don't expect a gift tonight.'"

The Giants have won most of their games because of a stellar bullpen, but on Monday night Joe Nathan and Felix Rodriguez combined to allow three hits, a run and two walks over 2 1/3 innings.

The Expos scored an insurance run in the ninth inning. Michael Barrett walked and moved to second on Endy Chavez's infield single. Both advanced one base on Felix Rodriguez's wild pitch before Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly scored Barrett.

It was an important run for Montreal, considering the Giants got one back in the bottom of the ninth and nearly tied the game. Barry Bonds' double off the top of the wall in right-center field scored Rich Aurilia, but Jose Cruz, Jr. and Santiago both struck out to end the game.

WHO'S HOT

Aurilia has hit safely in his last eight games and is on a tear in that span with a .437 average.

Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games at a .333 clip. However, he has just a .214 average for the year.

WHO'S NOT

Marquis Grissom is just 4-for-32 in his last 10 contests.

COMING UP

Following this three-game series with the Expos, the Giants will conclude their seven-game home set with four contests versus the New York Mets.