The Associated Press

ST.

Sunday, June 25, 2000

ST. LOUIS – Mark McGwire homered for the sixth time in seven games, the 550th of his career and his major league-leading 28th of the season, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 Saturday.

Alan Benes won his first game in 2 1/2 years, pitching on a day filled with 5 hours, 55 minutes of rain delays. The game started 1:06 after its scheduled 2:15 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.

McGwire, who passed Mike Schmidt for sixth place on the career list Friday night, hit a two-run homer in the first 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.

Benes (1-0) won for the first time since April 19, 1997, allowing one runs and three hits in three innings of relief. He missed 2 1/2 seasons because of shoulder injuries.

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.

Giants 13, Astros 4

HOUSTON (AP) – Jeff Kent had four hits, including two in San Francisco’s seven-run third inning, and Doug Mirabelli had a career-high five hits as the Giants routed the Houston Astros 13-4 Saturday.

San Francisco had 22 hits. Shane Reynolds (6-4) was pounded for eight runs – six earned – and 10 hits in 2 2-3 innings.

Mirabelli went 5-for-6 with a three-run homer, and Ellis Burks, tripled, homered and scored three runs. Ramon Martinez tied a career-high with three hits and drove in three runs as San Francisco won for the eighth time in 11 games.

Astros shortstop Tim Bogar made his second relief appearance of the season and allowed J.T. Snow’s ninth-inning homer. Bogar pitched a 1-2-3 inning June 10 at San Diego in a 13-3 loss.

Moises Alou tied a career-high with four hits for the Astros (26-47), who have the worst record in the major leagues and dropped 21 games under .500 for the first time since Oct. 6, 1991.

Kent, who went 4-for-6 to raise his average to .344, leads the NL with 71 RBIs. Barry Bonds was the only Giants starter without a hit, going 0-for-3 with three walks.

Giants starter Joe Nathan (4-1) allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings.