Returning Jordan Gets His Time in Spotlight

The way Mark McGwire is going, it’s almost amazing he failed to hit a home run for the second game in a row.

Even though McGwire and teammates did not homer a day after the Cardinals’ 17-game home run streak ended, Brian Jordan returned with two hits and two runs batted in as St. Louis defeated the Colorado Rockies, 4-1, on Thursday.

“I’m trying to figure out how we won a couple games without him,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said about Jordan, who missed the previous three games after banging into a wall making a catch on Saturday. “He adds so much to our team.”

Kent Mercker (4-3) gave up a run and five hits in five innings and Curtis King struck out four in the final 2 2/3 innings for his second save. The Cardinals used three pitchers in the seventh and King got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam by getting Ellis Burks on a comebacker and striking out Dante Bichette.

“I don’t think any pitcher wants to be in that situation,” said King, who began the season in the minors. “You just want to make the right pitches so that you get your team out of a jam.”

Burks, who has just six hits in his last 43 at-bats, blamed himself for the loss.

“I chased a bad pitch,” Burks said. “With less than two outs, you’ve got to drive in at least one run, and I couldn’t get the job done.”

Bichette was impressed with King.

“You can’t give big-league pitchers an inch, or they will blow you away,” Bichette said.

McGwire, who has now gone seven at-bats without a home run, singled to start a two-run inning in the fourth, walked twice to raise his major-league leading total to 58, and lined out to the wall in left field. After the game he waved off reporters, reasoning it was somebody else’s turn to be in the spotlight.

“These are days I take a break,” McGwire said, who for the first time since May 6-7 has gone two days without a home run.

Colorado starter Jamey Wright had a lot to do with that by deciding not to go after McGwire.

“Not challenging him is not the way I pitch,” said Wright (4-5), who gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings. “I go after people and I’m a little upset I didn’t do that.”