Another Home Run Record for McGwire in Win

A pitcher who makes a mistake to Mark McGwire usually has a pretty good idea what’s going to happen.

Chris Holt let a pitch get away from him Friday night and McGwire made another entry in the record book.

“It was a fastball in and he turned on it,” Holt said after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros, 5-4, at St. Louis.

McGwire’s major league-leading 29th home run set a record for career home runs at Busch Stadium.

He connected in the fifth to cut the Astro lead to 4-3.

McGwire homered off Holt (3-9) for the third time in 12 at-bats to give him 551 career home runs, including 104 at Busch Stadium.

Big Mac, who broke Ray Lankford’s mark, has played 215 games at Busch Stadium since being traded to the Cardinals in 1997.

Holt said the home run was predictable.

“When he turns on a ball like that, it’s going to end up in the seats,” he said.

McGwire wasn’t available after the game and the Cardinals had other heroes who celebrated the win that put them 15 games over .500 for the first time since 1987.

Alan Benes, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief for his second win in six days, said the bullpen kept the game close.

“We know that we have a good chance to win if we keep the score where it is,” Benes said.

Holt gave up five runs and 11 hits, struck out four and walked three in 5 1/3 innings to fall to 1-6 on the road.

Cincinnati 5, Arizona 4--Pete Harnisch, just off the disabled list, got his first victory of the season and drove in the go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded single at Phoenix.

Harnisch, in his first outing since May 5, gave up a two-run home run to Jay Bell, the second batter he faced, but then shut out the Diamondbacks the next five innings as the Reds improved to 7-0 at Bank One Ballpark.

Harnisch (1-4) had been out nearly four weeks because of weakness in his rotator cuff, one of several problems plaguing Cincinnati’s starters.

Danny Graves got five outs for his 12th save in 13 opportunities.

Pittsburgh 8, Philadelphia 3--Wil Cordero hit a two-run triple to highlight a five-run eighth inning at Philadelphia.

Cordero, three for five with four RBIs, was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle for the Pirates.

Kris Benson (7-6) scattered 10 hits, gave up three runs, struck out three and walked one in seven innings.

Colorado 5, San Diego 4--Pedro Astacio pitched eight strong innings for his first win in seven starts and Darren Bragg singled in the winning run in the seventh inning at San Diego.

Astacio (7-5) had lost his previous three starts and hadn’t won since May 24.

He gave up four runs and six hits, struck out 11 and walked one in the Rockies’ third consecutive victory.

Jose Jimenez pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.

Florida 5, Montreal 4--Vladimir Guerrero’s error allowed the go-ahead run to score in the ninth inning as the Marlins stopped a three-game losing streak at Montreal.

With the score tied, 4-4, pinch-hitter Kevin Millar singled off reliever Steve Kline to lead off the ninth for Florida.

One out later, Mark Kotsay singled to right and the ball got past Guerrero as he charged the ball.

Chicago 7, Milwaukee 4--Eric Young drew his club-record fifth walk with the bases loaded, and Sammy Sosa had a two-run double as the Cubs beat the Brewers 7-4 in 15 innings at Milwaukee.

The Cubs’ third victory in 11 games was made possible only because nearly three hours earlier, Milwaukee blew a two-run lead in the ninth when closer Bob Wickman pitched poorly and Ron Belliard missed a simple tag, allowing the tying run to score for the Cubs.