AMERICAN LEAGUE : McGwire Joins Good Company With No. 200

Mark McGwire has reached 200 homers faster than all but four players in major league history. The four are all in the Hall of Fame.

“I’m in pretty good company,” McGwire said Wednesday after hitting his major league-leading 22nd home run to help the Oakland Athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2.

“Having your name associated with them is an honor. To be fifth quickest to get to it, yeah, I’m pretty proud.”

McGwire, whose homer came in his 2,852nd career at-bat, got to 200 faster than everyone except Ralph Kiner (2,537 at-bats), Babe Ruth (2,580), Harmon Killebrew (2,584) and Eddie Mathews (2,811).

Can he go for 500? He’s just in his sixth full season.

“I don’t think I can play this game long enough like those guys did. Those are a lot of years,” McGwire said. “I can’t tell how long I’ll be around. I’ll just keep playing as long as it’s fun.”

McGwire’s homer allowed him to match his entire total of last season, his worst in the majors when he batted only .201.

“I’m pretty tired about people bringing up last year, especially so far into the season. It’s a new year, that’s all it is,” he said.

Harold Baines also homered in support of Ron Darling (6-3), who limited Milwaukee to seven hits in seven innings to win for the fifth time in his last six decisions. Gene Nelson and Dennis Eckersley worked one inning apiece in relief, with Eckersley earning his 22nd save in as many opportunities.

McGwire’s two-run homer to left in the second off Chris Bosio (4-4) followed an error by Brewers shortstop Pat Listach on Baines’ grounder.

“The first homer was a big homer,” said Oakland manager Tony La Russa. “It got us on the board early. Bosio has pitched some good games against us.”

McGwire knew it was a big homer, too, and for more than one reason.

“When you hit each century mark, I think guys are aware of it,” he admitted. “I knew what I needed to get coming into the season. Nobody said anything to me on the bench, so I didn’t want to say anything.”

Baines, in a 5-for-24 slump coming into the game, hit his fourth homer in the fifth after Bosio walked Jose Canseco, giving the Athletics a 5-1 lead.

“I thought Bosio pitched well,” Milwaukee manager Phil Garner said. “He only gave up five hits into the eighth. Two of those were homers. And I thought McGwire hit a good pitch.”

The Brewers had won nine of 11 games before dropping the final two games of the three-game series with Oakland.

The Athletics got a single run in the fourth on an RBI single by Mike Bordick after a walk and sacrifice.

Dante Bichette had three hits and drove in both Brewers runs. He hit his third home run in the fourth inning, the ball staying just inside the left field foul pole, and added a double in the sixth following a single by Darryl Hamilton.

Notes

McGwire, who finished last season with 75 RBIs, already had 49 this season. . . . Jim Gantner became the Brewers’ all-time assists leader when he fielded Dan Howitt’s grounder and threw him out in the fourth. That gave him 4,839, one more than Robin Yount. . . . Oakland’s Lance Blankenship was ejected after being called out on strikes in the fifth inning. . . . Kevin Seitzer left the game for Milwaukee after the sixth inning with a strained left shoulder.

The Fast Lane

The five batters with the fewest at-bats needed to reach 200 career home runs: Ralph Kiner: 2,537 Babe Ruth: 2,580 Harmon Killebrew: 2,584 Eddie Mathews: 2,811 x-Mark McGwire: 2,852 x-active