Drew Does His Part for St. Louis

J.D. Drew was pretty sure that he had scored five runs in a game before, although there was no comparison with doing it in the major leagues.

Drew tied a St. Louis record with five runs scored and Fernando Tatis homered and drove in three runs as the Cardinals posted their biggest offensive output of the season in a 16-5 victory over the Montreal Expos Saturday night.

“I did it a couple of times in college, I think, but it’s an aluminum bat there so it makes it a little easier,” Drew said.

The Cardinals scored three in the first, fourth, and seventh, four in the third, two in the fifth and one in the ninth to equal the most runs they’ve scored in a game since 1987.

Mark McGwire, who hasn’t homered since April 18, went three for five with two RBIs. He was given an ovation by the crowd of 14,511 when he was replaced by pinch-runner Eli Marrero after hitting an RBI single in the seventh.

Drew, who entered the game batting .222, went three for four with a single, double, triple, and two walks. Drew had a chance to hit for the cycle, but drew a walk off Bobby Ayala in the ninth.

Donovan Osborne (1-2) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two. Mike Mohler pitched three innings for his first save.

Every member of the Cardinal starting lineup hit safely, including Osborne who doubled to lead off the fourth.

Tatis hit a two-run homer, his eighth, off Mike Thurman (0-2) to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead in the first inning and added a run-scoring double in the fourth. Alberto Castillo hit a two-run homer during a four-run third as St. Louis sent the Expos to their eighth loss in nine games.

Shawon Dunston also had three RBIs with a two-run triple in the third and an RBI single in the fourth. Eric Davis went three for five with a double and two RBIs.

Thurman, who hadn’t started since April 15, gave up seven runs--six earned--and six hits in 2 2/3 innings. His earned-run average went from 7.84 to 10.38.

“That’s not a factor at all,” Thurman said of being passed over for two consecutive starts. “That would be making excuses for getting my butt kicked. Everyone saw what happened. I just wasn’t ready to pitch.”

AROUND THE LEAGUE / Colorado Puts Manwaring on DL

The Colorado Rockies put catcher Kirt Manwaring on the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contract of catcher Henry Blanco from Colorado Springs of the Pacific Coast League.

Manwaring fractured the little finger on his right hand during the first inning Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but finished the game. He singled in his final at-bat in the ninth inning.

Blanco, invited to the Rockies’ spring training camp as a nonroster player, was batting .333 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 15 games at Colorado Springs. He was two for five with a homer in five games for the Dodgers in 1997.