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  Saturday, Jun. 24 1:15pm ET
McGwire connects for 6th time in 7 games
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Alan Benes didn't know how long it had been since he won a major league game.

"I know it's been a couple of years, and it's nice to finally get it," he said after pitching three innings Saturday in the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire connects for his major-league leading 28th home run of the season -- and the 550th of his career -- in the first inning Saturday.

Benes (1-0), a starter when he beat Cincinnati on July 15, 1997, has been used strictly in relief since he was called up from Triple-A Memphis on May 28.

"You know coming out of the bullpen that you're going to get wins and losses that you really don't have much control over," he said. "I don't worry about getting a win or a loss."

Benes missed 2-1/2 seasons because of shoulder injuries. Benes entered the game with the Cardinals leading 2-0 on Mark McGwire's first-inning home run and allowed one run.

The long day was filled with 5 hours, 55 minutes of rain delays. The game started 1:06 after its scheduled 1:25 p.m. EDT start, was stopped for 33 minutes after the top of the first and was held up for 3:16 in the bottom of the second.

Benes said he wasn't concerned about starting. "We have enough starters, and I can be the most help coming out of the bullpen," he said.

McGwire, who passed Mike Schmidt for seventh place on the career home-run list Friday night, hit his 550th career homer, his major league-leading 28th of the season.

McGwire's two-run homer in the first came off Orel Hershiser (1-4) after a single by J.D. Drew. McGwire has homered in three straight games, giving him 103 homers and 219 RBIs in 214 career games at Busch Stadium.

He is 13 home runs behind Reggie Jackson, who is sixth.

"I was honored enough to play my rookie year with him," McGwire said. "I find it sort of weird. He saw me hit 49 as a rookie."

Hershiser gave up two runs and three hits in 1 1-3 innings, leaving following a rain delay. Darryl Kile allowed no runs and no hits in two innings.

Los Angeles closed to 2-1 in the fourth when Adrian Beltre doubled and Benes threw a pair of wild pitches. Craig Paquette hit a two-run single in the sixth off Terry Adams, giving him five RBIs in the first two games of the series. Pinch-hitter Ray Lankford had a two-run double in the eighth off Matt Herges.

Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said he might have to bring Hershiser back as a starter Monday. "I'll have to see how he feels Sunday," Johnson said. "These last two games have taken a lot out of our pitchers."

Johnson said it was hard for both teams after playing 11 rain-delayed innings Friday night and reporting for the early starting time Saturday.

"We didn't seem to have much energy," he said.

Game notes
The Cardinals are 4-1 on the homestand while the Dodgers are 2-3 on their trip. ... Shawn Green's steak of reaching base by a hit or a walk was stopped at 53 games. ... Gary Sheffield's hitting streak was snapped at 13 games. ... Eduardo Perez, called up by the Cardinals from Triple A Memphis, doubled in his first at-bat in the majors this season . ... Edgar Renteria is hitless in his last 16 at-bats.
 


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St. Louis Clubhouse


RECAPS
Cleveland 8
Detroit 1

Detroit 14
Cleveland 8

(2nd game)

NY Yankees 12
Chi. White Sox 8

Kansas City 8
Oakland 3

Toronto 6
Boston 4

Seattle 2
Baltimore 1

Tampa Bay 9
Texas 7

Minnesota 11
Anaheim 5

St. Louis 6
Los Angeles 1

Philadelphia 8
Montreal 1

San Francisco 13
Houston 4

Cincinnati 11
San Diego 5

Florida 7
Chicago Cubs 4

Milwaukee 2
Atlanta 1

NY Mets 10
Pittsburgh 8

Colorado 4
Arizona 0

AUDIO/VIDEO
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 Tony LaRussa hopes his team continues to look ahead to the next game.
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