McGwire’s Muscles Beat Piazza’s Pinch

Mike Piazza drove in a run with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in his first at-bat for the Florida Marlins, but all anybody was talking about Saturday night in St. Louis was the shot hit by Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire.

McGwire hit a drive estimated at a Busch Stadium-record 545 feet, tying for the major-league lead with his 16th home run in the Cardinals’ 5-4 victory.

“It’s the best ball I’ve ever hit,” McGwire said. “I don’t think I can hit one better than that.”

The Cardinals’ previous record was a drive by McGwire that traveled an estimated 527 feet on Tuesday night. The team has been measuring home runs since 1988.

The estimate also beats McGwire’s previous best for distance, a 538-foot homer against Seattle’s Randy Johnson on June 24, 1997, in the Kingdome when he played for the Oakland Athletics.

McGwire tied Colorado’s Vinny Castilla for the home-run lead in the fourth with a drive against Livan Hernandez that struck an advertisement below luxury boxes in straightaway center field.

Piazza, traded from the Dodgers to Florida on Friday night, tied the score at 4-4, with his sacrifice fly in the seventh. Todd Zeile, who was also traded from the Dodgers in the seven-player deal, had not arrived by the end of the game.

Leyland said both players will start today.

Brian Jordan broke the tie with a home run in the bottom of the seventh against Vic Darensbourg (0-5) as the Cardinals broke a three-game losing streak and sent the Marlins to their sixth loss in seven games.

Todd Stottlemyre (5-3) pitched the Cardinals’ first complete game of the season--and his first since June 2, 1996--yielding seven hits. He struck out eight and has struck out 21 in his last two starts.

Houston 3, Atlanta 2--Craig Biggio thrilled the largest regular-season crowd in Astrodome history, hitting a game-winning solo home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

A crowd of 51,526 saw the Astros come back from a 2-0 deficit against Greg Maddux. The previous mark of 50,908 was set on June 22, 1966, against the Dodgers.

Biggio hit his fifth home run, connecting against Kerry Ligtenberg (3-2).

Doug Henry (2-1) pitched two hitless innings and struck out two.

The last 13 regular-season games between the Astros and Braves have been decided by either one or two runs.

Maddux gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, and left with the score tied, 2-2.

Astro starter Shane Reynolds went seven innings and gave up six hits before Henry relieved.

New York 4, San Francisco 1--Alberto Castillo hit his first major league homer and John Olerud drove in two runs for the Mets at San Francisco.

Rick Reed (4-2) won his third consecutive start, yielding one run and five hits in seven innings as the Mets ended a three-game losing streak.

John Franco pitched the ninth inning for his eighth save in 10 chances. Franco tied Jeff Reardon for third on the career saves list at 367.

Milwaukee 7, Colorado 5--Rookie Geoff Jenkins drove in four runs with a three-run homer and a run-scoring double at Denver as the Brewers handed the Rockies their sixth straight loss.

Scott Karl (5-1) went six innings, limiting the Rockies to seven hits and three runs, only one of them earned. Doug Jones pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 14 chances as Colorado’s home record fell to 4-15, worst in the majors.

Pittsburgh 6, Arizona 3--Manny Martinez and Jason Kendall hit consecutive homers during a six-run second inning to lead the Pirates at Phoenix.

Martinez hit his first major league homer, a three-run shot. Kendall followed with his fourth home run of the season.

Jason Schmidt (6-1) won his fifth straight decision, allowing six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.

Schmidt became the fastest Pirates pitcher to reach the six-win mark since Doug Drabek in 1990.

Devon White became the first player to hit a home run into the spa behind the right-centerfield fence, connecting with two out in the Arizona first.

San Diego 3, Philadelphia 2--Pinch-hitter Greg Myers hit a bases-loaded single to cap a two-run, ninth-inning rally that lifted the Padres at San Diego.

The Padres scored two unearned runs with the help of two Phillie errors in the ninth.

Phillie reliever Mark Leiter (2-1) walked leadoff batter Ruben Rivera and hit Chris Gomez. Pinch-hitter Ed Giovanola bunted and Rivera scored when Leiter overthrew first base to tie the score, 2-2. First baseman Rico Brogna then bobbled the ball while trying to pick it up, allowing Giovanola to reach second.

Quilvio Veras was then intentionally walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Myers.