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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Instead of Big Mac vs. Slammin' Sammy, this
year it's Mark McGwire vs. Jim Edmonds.
Edmonds and McGwire each hit their 10th home runs, connecting on
consecutive pitches in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-0 victory over
the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
|  | | Jim Edmonds belted his 10th homer of the season in the sixth inning. |
"You hit a home run and you're down in the tunnel, and by the
time you can turn around the ball's in the seats," Edmonds said.
"Anytime we can explode, it's a good feeling."
Besides sharing the team lead, Edmonds and McGwire have homered
in the same game on four occasions -- three in the past week.
McGwire's shot landed in the upper deck in left, a drive
measured at 461 feet, and was the 532nd of his career. He's two
behind Jimmie Foxx for ninth place on the all-time list.
"He hits a lot of them, so whenever I hit one there's a good
chance for both of us to hit them," said Edmonds, who is batting
.400. "We're just having fun. He says he doesn't mind hitting
behind a guy that hits home runs because a pitcher might be a
little upset and make a bad pitch."
McGwire doesn't mind dueling with Edmonds instead of Sosa.
"Good. We're on the same team," McGwire said.
Edmonds obviously showed no ill effects from colliding with the
center-field wall robbing Wil Cordero of a home run Wednesday,
pulling the ball back and making Cordero settle for a triple. He
was removed from the game after the inning because the wind had
been knocked out of him and he was too dizzy to see straight for
about a half-hour.
"I didn't have the time frame enough to hit," Edmonds said.
"I just couldn't clear my head so I had to come out of the game."
It's the eighth time the Cardinals have hit back-to-back homers
this season.
Ray Lankford also connected for the Cardinals, giving Garrett
Stephenson plenty of support. Lankford's two-run shot in the fourth
off Francisco Cordova (1-3) was the 100th of his career at Busch
Stadium, where he's the all-time leader.
"I don't know if they'll keep this up all year, but they are
tough to pitch to," Pirates manager Gene Lamont said. "If they
kept up this pace, Edmonds would have 60 and McGwire would have
60."
Stephenson (4-0) had his best outing by far, allowing three hits
in 7 2/3 innings. In his previous four starts, he had given up 19
earned runs in 22 innings.
"The confidence has always been up, but this is definitely a
very, very good game," Stephenson said. "I'm glad I went out
there and held them."
Mike James completed the combined four-hitter as the Cardinals
avoided a three-game sweep and won for the seventh time in 10
games.
"It's nice anytime you can get them," manager Tony La Russa
said. "But at home and getting swept by the Pirates, that wouldn't
have been too cool. He stepped up very big."
Cordova, who had been 4-0 for his career against the Cardinals,
gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings with eight
strikeouts and no walks. Before this game he had allowed one homer
in 30 innings all season.
"He's been keeping the ball down in the zone real, real well,"
Lamont said. "Most of those pitches looked like they were in that
happy zone, I guess you can say."
Shawon Dunston added an RBI single in the first, his first hit
since April 19. Dunston also made his first start of the season at
shortstop.
Game notes
The Pirates haven't swept the Cardinals at Busch Stadium
since July 3-6, 1997. ... Cordova has lost all three of his road
starts, allowing 13 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings. ... Stephenson
started out 5-0 with St. Louis last year. ... Lankford has 100
homers and 393 RBI in 652 games at Busch. McGwire has 96 homers
and 205 RBI in 196. ... McGwire has homered in seven of the last
11 games. ... The homer gave McGwire 1,300 career RBI. ...
Cardinals pitchers have allowed 33 homers. ... The Pirates scored
17 runs the first two games of the series.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
RECAPS
Anaheim 8
Baltimore 5
Toronto 8
Cleveland 1
Tampa Bay 8
Texas 7
Detroit 8
Minnesota 6
St. Louis 5
Pittsburgh 0
Houston 6
Chicago Cubs 2
Philadelphia 14
Cincinnati 1
San Francisco 7
NY Mets 2
Arizona 6
Milwaukee 2
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