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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- J.D. Drew celebrated a personal opening day.
After not starting the first two games, Drew hit two home runs,
including a grand slam, in his first two at-bats as the St. Louis
Cardinals completed a dominating sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a
13-3 victory Thursday.
|  | | J.D. Drew receives a standing ovation as he is congratulated by Cardinal teammates after hitting a third-inning home run. |
"At Florida State, the minors and everywhere else I can't
remember starting a season very good at all," Drew said.
"Hopefully, that's a good omen."
Fernando Tatis, Drew and Mike Matheny homered in consecutive
at-bats in a seven-run third against Kyle Farnsworth (0-1), with
Tatis' homer a three-run shot.
Drew, who was a defensive substitute behind right fielder Eric
Davis the first two games and didn't get to bat, hit his first
career grand slam in a five-run fourth that gave the Cardinals a
13-2 lead.
The only disappointment of the day for Cardinals fans came when
Drew declined a curtain call despite sustained applause.
"It's early," Drew said. "Two at-bats into the season I don't
think I need to be doing that."
Drew, trying to rebound from a disappointing rookie season in
which he batted .242 and struggled in the outfield, said he didn't
mind watching the first two games. Manager Tony La Russa said it's
been tough not putting him in the lineup.
"One of the hardest things was not to play him the first couple
days because he finished spring training really swinging well," La
Russa said. "That's when you think you have a chance, when you
have those problems."
The Cubs, who opened last week in Tokyo with a split against the
New York Mets, were outscored 30-8 in the three-game series while
getting swept by the Cardinals for the first time since Aug. 7-9,
1998. Garrett Stephenson limited Chicago to three runs on four hits
in seven innings, striking out five and walking one.
The Cardinals have homered nine times in their first three
games, none by Mark McGwire. McGwire started for the first time
after sitting out the first two games with a lower back strain and
played five innings.
He walked his first three trips, scoring on Tatis' homer in the
third and Drew's slam in the fourth, then fouled out to first in
the fifth for his first official at-bat.
The Cubs have scored only nine runs in four games, losing all
four, since beating the Mets 5-3 on opening day in Tokyo. Manager
Don Baylor held a brief closed-door meeting after the game.
"I'm not angry, it's more frustration," Baylor said. "After
five games, we haven't done the things we're capable of doing. We
haven't been swinging the bat or pitching the way we should."
Sammy Sosa continued his early slump by going 0-for-4 with two
strikeouts, and is 2-for-19 overall with one RBI. During the series
he was 0-for-12 with five strikeouts, three popups to second base
and only one ball hit to the outfield.
"I don't feel comfortable at the plate right now," Sosa said.
"I've been missing my pitches, but I have to continue to be
ready."
Henry Rodriguez, who was hit by a pitch and struck out before
leaving in the fourth, is 2-for-17 with eight strikeouts.
Stephenson, the third new starter to win for St. Louis,
struggled only in the second when he hit Rodriguez and Shane
Andrews followed with a two-run homer. Jeff Reed had an RBI single
in the seventh.
Like Darryl Kile and Pat Hentgen said after the first two games,
Stephenson gave most of the credit to the offense.
"I don't have to pitch against them," he said. "That's a good
thing."
Farnsworth was effective in Japan, allowing one run in 5 2/3
innings in a 5-1, 11-inning loss to the Mets. He lasted three
innings against the Cardinals, giving up eight runs on seven hits.
"The worst thing you can do is get mad at yourself,"
Farnsworth said. "I have 30-some more starts and you just have to
keep on going."
Game notes
The Cardinals last hit three consecutive homers Sept. 19,
1999, when McGwire, Thomas Howard and Tatis connected in the fourth
inning at home against the Houston Astros' Jose Lima. ... Drew has
three two-homer games, the last on Sept. 28, 1998 against Montreal.
The five-RBI game is a career high. ... Matheny's three-hit game
equals his career best. ... New Cubs leadoff hitter Eric Young had
his second base-running gaffe of the series when he was easily
thrown out at third trying to advance on Ricky Gutierrez's single.
He was picked off in the opener. ... The three-game series drew
total attendance of 127,653. ... Both Tatis and Drew have two
homers in four at-bats against Farnsworth. ... Cardinals
right-hander Alan Benes, trying to come back after missing more
than two seasons with shoulder injuries, gets his first Triple-A
start Saturday for Memphis.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
RECAPS
Kansas City 9
Toronto 3
Tampa Bay 7
Minnesota 6
Baltimore 6
Cleveland 2
Chi. White Sox 6
Texas 2
Seattle 5
Boston 2
Florida 5
San Francisco 4
St. Louis 13
Chicago Cubs 3
Pittsburgh 10
Houston 1
Cincinnati 5
Milwaukee 1
Montreal 11
Los Angeles 3
San Diego 8
NY Mets 5
Arizona 3
Philadelphia 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 J.D. Drew enjoyed playing well in front of the hometown fans.
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