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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Jim Edmonds upstaged the first meeting of Big
Mac and Junior at Busch Stadium and made one last case for the
All-Star team.
Edmonds hit a pair of two-run homers and Andy Benes won his
fifth straight decision, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the
Cincinnati Reds 14-3 Tuesday.
|  | | Jim Edmonds watches the flight of his first two-run homer Tuesday. Edmonds never took off when it came to All-Star ballotting. |
It was the 10th career multihomer game for Edmonds, and second
this season, with both homers going to the opposite field. He hit a
3-1 pitch from Ron Villone (7-6) into the Reds' bullpen in a
six-run first and hit his 24th homer off Scott Williamson in the
third.
Mark McGwire thinks so highly of Edmonds he'll consider not going to
the All-Star game if Edmonds isn't added to the NL team on
Wednesday.
"It would be a mockery," McGwire said. "I would almost think
of not going if he's not on it.
"I know there's a lot of great guys having great years in the
outfield, but when you're on a team that's in first place and
you're having a year like he's having a year -- basically in the top
10 of almost every category -- he's almost a shoo-in."
Edmonds, who also walked and scored in the second, is 12-for-25
against the Reds this season with four homers and seven RBIs. He
appeared unconcerned about his chances of making the All-Star team
for the second time of his career.
"It doesn't matter either way, and I'm not trying to impress
anybody for the All-Star game," he said. "I think if I didn't go
to the All-Star game and we went to the World Series, I'd pretty
much take that trade."
Mark McGwire had a much more productive day than Ken Griffey Jr.
in the second meeting between the stars this year. McGwire was
2-for-4 with an RBI double, single and bases-loaded walk while
Griffey was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
"When Mac does something, it really energizes our team, and
when he does something big for them, as we saw in Cincinnati, it
really gives them a lift and a boost," Benes said. "If you have
an opportunity to keep him out of the mix, that's going to benefit
us."
Keith McDonald homered in his first major league at-bat, pinch
hitting in the eighth off Andy Larkin.
Benes (9-3) struck out eight in six innings, allowing two runs
and six hits to beat the Reds for the second straight start. He's
5-0 with a 3.66 ERA in his last six starts with 48 strikeouts in 39
1-3 innings.
Griffey is 1-for-16 with two RBIs in the first five games of a
seven-game trip and is in a 2-for-22 slump.
"Sometimes you try too hard," Griffey said. "We haven't had
any breaks go our way. You lose a couple of games and things get
compounded."
St. Louis has won 16 of 21, extending its NL Central lead over
the Reds to nine games. The Reds have lost 18 of 27 since June 4,
when they led the Central by a half-game.
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Cards' McDonald homers in first career at-bat
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ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Keith McDonald became only the third player in
St. Louis Cardinals' history to homer in his first career at-bat.
McDonald, a 27-year-old rookie pinch hitting for Edgar Renteria,
connected off Andy Larkin on a 2-2 pitch in the eighth inning
Tuesday, joining Wally Moon (1954) and Eddie Morgan (1936). Morgan, who played only one season with the Cardinals, also did
it as a pinch hitter.
"I'm numb," McDonald said. "I was running with my head down.
I didn't even see it go out and I almost tripped over first base."
McDonald's contract was purchased from Triple-A Memphis on
Sunday, a day after Eli Marrero, the Cardinals' backup catcher,
injured his left thumb with a head-first slide stealing second.
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"It doesn't matter if it's the Padres or the Phillies,"
manager Jack McKeon said. "If you get well-pitched games you beat
them, if you don't get well-pitched games you can't beat them."
St. Louis had its opening-day lineup healthy for the first time
in more than two months. Second baseman Fernando Vina, activated
from the disabled list before the game, didn't start but played the
ninth.
Villone lasted only two-thirds of an inning, allowing six runs
and five hits. Only one run was earned because Shawon Dunston, the
second batter in the first, reached on a fielding error by first
baseman Sean Casey.
"I'm not going to beat myself to death over these games
anymore," Villone said. "I'm just going to pitch the best I can
whenever and wherever they give me the ball."
Aaron Boone had a sacrifice fly and Eddie Taubensee had an RBI
single in the third for the Reds, and Michael Tucker homered off
Mark Thompson in the seventh.
Game notes
The national anthem was a saxophone solo by St. Louis Rams
all-pro defensive end Kevin Carter. ... Villone threw 47 pitches in
the first. In his last three starts he's allowed 12 earned runs in
10 2-3 innings, and his previous start was a 12-3 loss to the
Cardinals. ... The Cardinals have outscored opponents 94-44 in the
first inning. ... Tuesday's attendance was 46,022, the seventh
sellout in a row at Busch and the 14th of the season.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 9
Toronto 4
Baltimore 7
NY Yankees 6
Detroit 11
Tampa Bay 0
Boston 14
Minnesota 4
Kansas City 10
Chi. White Sox 7
Texas 10
Oakland 7
Anaheim 7
Seattle 6
Philadelphia 7
Milwaukee 4
St. Louis 14
Cincinnati 3
Pittsburgh 10
Chicago Cubs 4
Florida 9
NY Mets 8
San Francisco 4
Colorado 1
San Francisco 3
Colorado 0
(2nd game)
Atlanta 7
Montreal 3
Arizona 10
Houston 4
San Diego 7
Los Angeles 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Cardinals' rookie Keith McDonald talks about hitting a homer in his first career at-bat.
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