McGwire Missing in Cardinal Loss

Dave Nilsson was glad he got into the game against St. Louis on Wednesday. Cardinal pitcher Lance Painter was not.

Nilsson hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning off Painter and the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, to end a three-game losing streak.

“It’s a good feeling for me, but also obviously for the team,” Nilsson said. “We had a pretty rough homestand and to be able to finish with a win with an off day coming up was really big.”

Mark McGwire, bothered by a tight left hamstring, missed his first game of the season. McGwire, who has a .233 batting average with five home runs, left Tuesday’s game in the fifth inning after going 0 for 2 with a walk.

“You’ve got to give him 24-48 hours and see how he feels,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said.

Asked how he felt and whether he’d play Friday at Los Angeles, McGwire replied: “I don’t know.”

The Cardinals’ Eric Davis also did not play. His left hand was bruised Tuesday night when hit by a pitch by Eric Plunk. X-rays were negative.

Nilsson, who entered as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth, connected off Painter (0-2) for his second home run of the season.

“Even though I was not in the lineup, I knew eventually I was going to play sometime during the day,” Nilsson said. “To come in and hit a home run to put us ahead is pretty special.”

Al Reyes (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Bob Wickman finished for his first save of the season.

With two out in the ninth, J.D. Drew walked and took third on Placido Polanco’s single. Shawon Dunston then grounded to first, where Sean Berry made a diving stop and then tagged the bag.

“It had a chance,” La Russa said. “I thought it was a great at-bat. Berry made a game-saving play. The ball had a tricky spin and he made a heck of a play.”

Cardinal starter Darren Oliver gave up one run and three hits in seven innings. Milwaukee starter Rafael Roque gave up one run and four hits in four innings.

St. Louis left the bases loaded in the sixth when Oliver hit an inning-ending groundout off David Weathers. Milwaukee stranded three the following inning on Bobby Hughes’ inning-ending comebacker.

AROUND THE LEAGUE / Aaron Homer Ball Nets $650,000

The final home run ball hit by Hank Aaron has earned $650,000, most of it for former Milwaukee County Stadium groundskeeper Richard Arndt, 52, who recovered the ball in the stands July 20, 1976.

Guernsey’s, a New York auction house that arranged the sale, declined to identify the buyer.

Arndt says he offered to give the ball to Aaron but the Milwaukee Brewers never arranged a meeting, firing him instead for not giving the ball to the team.

Arndt gets $461,700 from the Guernsey’s sale. In keeping with a promise to Aaron, $155,800 goes to Chasing the Dream Foundation, an Atlanta group that helps underprivileged children. Guernsey’s keeps the balance as a commission.

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Linda Postlethwaite, struck in the face by a wild warmup pitch during a Florida Marlin game, was awarded $2.5 million by a jury for injuries that left her with lingering headaches and concentration problems.

Postlethwaite, 48, was injured by an errant pitch by former Philadelphia reliever Mitch Williams, who was warming up in the bullpen during a Phillie-Marlin game Aug. 8, 1993.