McGwire Belts 60th; Reds Making a Move

Once again, Mark McGwire joined Sammy Sosa in the baseball record books, becoming the second player with consecutive 60-homer seasons after he hit No. 60 on Sunday during the St. Louis Cardinals’ 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in 12 innings.

His solo shot in the eighth inning off Scott Sullivan also made him the third player to hit 400 homers in a decade. Babe Ruth had 467 in the 1920s and Jimmie Foxx had 415 in the 1930s.

“I think all this stuff will hit me when I’m retired,” said McGwire, who also hit No. 60 against the Reds last season. “Obviously it’s very meaningful to me. When I retire I can sit back and think of all I’ve accomplished.”

McGwire has had to cope with a sore back and groin in September and has been asked repeatedly about another home run race with Sammy Sosa since spring training. McGwire finished with 70 last season, four more than Sosa.

Sipping from a bottle of water in his dressing cubicle in the subdued Cardinals clubhouse, McGwire said this season has been more difficult than his record-setting 1998.

“It’s been a nice year,” he said. “Then again, it’s been probably one of the most difficult years I’ve ever had.”

He has spent much of it chasing Sosa, who hit his 60th eight days earlier in Chicago and became the first to reach that level twice. McGwire trails Sosa by one homer for the major league lead.

When he left Cincinnati stuck at 59 homers earlier this month, Sosa said he never expected to hit 60 again this season. McGwire felt the same way.

“I never thought I’d get there again,” McGwire said. “To have two people do it in two consecutive years is pretty amazing.

“A lot of people didn’t think we could do it again--myself included.”

The 40,000 fans showed up hoping to see the Reds, in the middle of the playoff race, win and McGwire hit a homer. McGwire hit a ball to the warning track in his first at-bat, then homered in the eighth--only his second in Cincinnati--drawing applause from the fans.

He got a hug from Manager Tony La Russa when he rounded the bases and reached the dugout. Afterward, La Russa was so upset by the Cardinals’ loss that he couldn’t talk about or enjoy McGwire’s accomplishment.

“I don’t think right now it’s possible,” La Russa said. “He’s the second man to do it twice. That’s history.”

The Reds blew a two-run lead in the ninth on Fernando Tatis’ second homer of the game, and fell behind on Edgar Renteria’s double in the top of the 12th before rallying for their 21st last at-bat victory.

With two aboard and one out, Pokey Reese hit his 10th homer off Ricky Bottalico (3-8), prompting the Reds to spill out of the dugout to form a jubilant cluster around home plate.

The Reds have won five of six games, positioning themselves for their first postseason appearance since 1995. The Reds moved a game ahead in the NL wild-card race as the New York Mets lost to Philadelphia, 3-2.

The Reds also moved within a half-game of Houston in the NL Central as the Astros lost at Milwaukee, 11-3.

McGwire’s homer extended his record for homers in a two-season span to 130. It was his 517th career homer.

BACK TO BACK 60

Players with 60 or more home runs in a season:

70: Mark McGwire - 1998

66: Sammy Sosa - 1998

61: Sammy Sosa - 1999

61: Roger Maris - 1961

60: Mark McGwire - 1999

60: Babe Ruth - 1927