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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals had their NL Central
lead shaved to nine games and perhaps lost Mark McGwire until the
All-Star break.
The Cardinals were without their two biggest stars for most of
Thursday night's 12-6 loss to the second-place Cincinnati Reds.
McGwire left after three innings due to irritation in his right
knee and Jim Edmonds was out for the second straight game due to
illness, although he's expected back Friday night.
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Junior in lineup
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ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Ken Griffey Jr. was back in the Cincinnati
Reds' lineup Thursday night and answering questions about his
absence a day earlier.
Griffey denied he removed himself from the second game of a
series against the NL Central-leading Cardinals to
protest coverage on ESPN, which telecast Wednesday's game.
Griffey said the real reasons were a stomachache and headache,
and he also denied reports that he called ESPN to complain that so many highlights of Jim Edmonds had been shown by the network.
"I can't lie ... I made all those calls. Yeah, right! I have no
idea what ESPN's number is, let alone call ESPN," Griffey said.
If there were a problem, Griffey said, he'd let his agent deal
with it.
"I have no control over what ESPN shows or doesn't show," he
said.
Griffey said the only ESPN reporter he regularly speaks to is
Harold Reynolds, a former teammate on the Seattle Mariners. Griffey
said "98 percent" of what they discuss is banter of the sort
teammates would have.
"The only conversations I have had with Harold, I said they
show me mess up and then show somebody making a great catch right
after that," Griffey said. "That's been going on for years;
that's the way it's always been."
Griffey pinch-hit in the ninth inning Wednesday, flying out to
left. It was his first pinch at-bat since Sept. 24, 1992, when he
was with Seattle.
Griffey and the Reds entered Thursday night 10 games behind the
Cardinals. Griffey was in a 2-for-23 slump and his average was down
to .236.
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McGwire, who has had tendinitis in the knee since spring
training, has already been scratched for Friday's game. He was
1-for-2 with an RBI single in the second.
"The way he felt leaving here, he won't play tomorrow,"
trainer Barry Weinberg said. "This is something that's going to
take time. It didn't come overnight, so it's not going to cure
overnight."
Weinberg didn't even know whether McGwire would be able to play
in the All-Star game.
"I'm very concerned about his availability over the weekend,"
Weinberg said. "Right now that's our main concern, that we get him
better as soon as possible."
Elmer Dessens was solid in relief after Osvaldo Fernandez hurt
his elbow and lasted only 1 1-3 innings for Cincinnati. Manager
Jack McKeon elevated fellow reliever Scott Williamson to the
rotation before the game for Sunday, bumping Ron Villone, and said
Dessens could join him in the second half of the season.
"We made some changes like that last year and it worked out
pretty good," McKeon said.
Dessens (1-0) allowed two runs -- one earned -- on five hits after
Fernandez lasted only 1 1-3 innings in the shortest start of his
career.
"All I tried to do was keep the ball low," Dessens said
through an interpreter, teammate Dennys Reyes. "I'm just happy for
the opportunity."
Fernandez gave up six hits and three runs, two earned, and left
with elbow pain. Fernandez sat out the previous two seasons after
two elbow operations.
"There was pain every pitch," Fernandez said. "We'll have the
doctor check it out tomorrow."
Alex Ochoa had three hits and a career-high four RBIs to lead a
13-hit attack for the Reds.
St. Louis catcher Keith McDonald became only the second player
in major league history to homer in his first two at-bats when he
connected in the second against Osvaldo Fernandez. The only other
player to accomplish the feat was Bob Nieman of the St. Louis
Browns on Sept. 14, 1951 at Boston against the Red Sox.
McDonald walked in his third at-bat, in the third inning, and
had a run-scoring groundout in the fifth to give him three RBIs in
his first three at-bats. His first career at-bat was a pinch-homer
on Tuesday.
"I'm really extremely excited that I got the opportunity to be
here," said McDonald, 27. "So far, I've let things take care of
themselves."
Ochoa was 3-for-5 with an RBI single in the second and a
three-run double in the ninth for the Reds, who had Ken Griffey Jr.
back in the lineup.
Griffey, who missed Wednesday's game due to a stomachache and
headache, was 1-for-5 with a single and two strikeouts. He was
1-for-10 in the three-game series and 2-for-22 on the Reds'
seven-game trip with two RBIs.
Rick Ankiel (6-4) lasted five innings for St. Louis, giving up
six runs -- five earned -- on five hits. He struck out seven, walked
one and threw three wild pitches, including one that handed the
Reds a run in a three-run second.
He lost for the first time at Busch Stadium, where he had been
5-0 with a 2.48 ERA this year. Ankiel was moved up a day after
Garrett Stephenson was scratched Wednesday night due to flu.
Dmitri Young had three hits and two RBIs, and Chris Stynes had
three hits, including a home run in the fifth for the Reds.
Ray Lankford homered in the sixth and ninth for the Cardinals,
who lead the majors with 145. Lankford's homers tied him with
McGwire for the most home runs hit at Busch Stadium with 105.
The 10-game lead the Cardinals carried into the game was their
largest since Sept. 21, 1968. St. Louis and Cincinnati have three
more games, closing the season at Busch Stadium.
Game notes
The Cardinals outscored the Reds 8-0 in the first inning in
the series and St. Louis is 97-44 for the season in that inning.
... The Reds' Dante Bichette was removed after being hit by a pitch
on his left shin in the second. X-rays were negative. ... With his
second homer, Lankford passed Rogers Hornsby for third on the
Cardinals' career homer list with 198. ... The Cardinals haven't
swept the Reds since Sept. 15-17, 1996, at Cincinnati, and their
last sweep at home was May 15-17, 1987.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
Lightning strikes twice: Rookie ties HR record
RECAPS
NY Yankees 13
Baltimore 9
Toronto 9
Cleveland 6
Boston 8
Minnesota 7
Anaheim 5
Seattle 1
Montreal 4
Atlanta 2
San Francisco 6
Colorado 5
Los Angeles 9
San Diego 3
Cincinnati 12
St. Louis 6
Arizona 2
Houston 1
Milwaukee 4
Philadelphia 2
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