McGwire One-Ups Sosa

It took Mark McGwire only one at-bat to regain the lead in the home-run derby.

Hours after saying he didn’t care whether he or Sammy Sosa reigned as the new home run king, McGwire hit No. 63 to move ahead of the Chicago right fielder.

He ended a six-game homer drought with a solo shot off Jason Christiansen in St. Louis’ 8-6 loss to Pittsburgh in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday night.

“He’s been doing it for a year and two months, people cheering ‘Come on Mark, we want you to hit one,’ ” Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa said. “Boom, he hits one! How does he do it? I have no idea, except that he’s remarkable.”

McGwire didn’t appear at all impressed with himself.

“It’s not a record,” he said. “It’s not a record until the season is over.”

McGwire’s swing went out of sync after he hit his 62nd home run Sept. 8, and he was three for 18 with three singles in six games before hitting his sixth career pinch-hit homer in only 32 at-bats.

McGwire had a run-scoring double and a bases-loaded walk in the Cardinals’ 9-3 victory in the second game, and hit high fly balls to right in the third and center in the fifth. He also walked twice, extending his National League record to 154.

McGwire did not start the opener as a precaution for his ailing back, and to allow more fans a chance to see him play. The games were sold out, but only about 10,000 fans were watching when the first game began at 3:10 p.m. PDT.

The ballpark was filled and everyone was standing when McGwire, batting for leadoff hitter Delino DeShields, made his third pinch-hit appearance of the season with one out and nobody on in the ninth.

On a 1-and-0 fastball that was down and in, he hit a 385-foot drive into the left-center field bleachers.

The fan who caught the ball had no immediate plans to give it back. McGwire has received every ball from homer No. 56 on, but John Grass, 46, was looking to cash in.

“The ball is worth something to someone and I’d like to have something for it myself,” Grass said. “He makes millions of dollars, I don’t think there is anything wrong with something coming to me.”

McGwire wasn’t concerned.

“That’s all right,” he said. “He can keep it.”