PITTSBURGH (AP) - Hee Seop Choi's two-run double helped Chicago open a four-run lead before Kris Benson retired a batter, and Matt Clement limited Pittsburgh to two hits over seven innings in the Cubs' 7-2 victory Friday night.

The Cubs failed to score in double digits, as they did in their previous three games, but still won their fourth in a row to maintain their NL Central lead. They can match the club record of 16 April victories set in 1969 by splitting their final 10 games this month.

Given a 4-0 lead before taking the mound, Clement (2-1) made his third successive strong start by striking out 10 and walking three - the eighth time in his career he's struck out 10 or more.

Clement, who grew up 40 miles from PNC Park, extended an ever-growing offensive slump that has seen the Pirates score more than three runs only once while losing eight of 12. They are 2-5 since top run producer Brian Giles was lost for two-to-four weeks with a knee injury.

The Cubs, coming off a four-game series with the Reds in which the winning team scored at least 10 runs in every game, seemed intent on matching that as their first five batters reached against Benson (2-2). The right-hander began the game with an NL-leading 0.83 ERA.

Mark Grudzielanek's leadoff single, Benson's two-base throwing error on a pickoff play and Alex Gonzalez's RBI single quickly made it 1-0. Sammy Sosa singled and Moises Alou walked to load the bases.

Choi, 4-for-8 with three homers in his previous three games, fouled off a series of pitches before lining a double off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field.

The Pirates didn't get an out until Corey Patterson's sacrifice fly made it 4-0 on Benson's 25th pitch of the inning. Benson needed 35 pitches to get out of the first before settling down, limiting the Cubs to three singles over the next six innings.

Without Giles and first baseman Randall Simon, who sat out with a sore neck resulting from a postgame traffic accident Thursday, the Pirates did little against Clement. He has given up four earned runs and nine hits in 21 1-3 innings in his last three starts.

The Cubs added three runs in the ninth against reliever Joe Beimel on Grudzielanek's RBI double, Gonzalez's run-scoring single and Sosa's RBI groundout.

Kyle Farnsworth followed Clement with a scoreless eighth. Joe Borowski allowed Reggie Sanders' fifth homer in the ninth. Notes: Sosa and Choi had homered in three straight games. ... Temperatures were in the 40s with a steady breeze. ... The Pirates have only four homers in 12 games and two in 69 innings. ... The Pirates are 2-5 at PNC Park. ... The Cubs have scored all six runs allowed by Benson in 27 1-3 innings over four starts. ... The Cubs have 51 hits in their last four games. ... Pirates 2B Pokey Reese struck out four times.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-04-18-03 2212EDT