McGwire’s Error Helps Pirates Beat Cardinals, 10-7

Mark McGwire tried to do too much, and it cost the St. Louis Cardinals.

McGwire hit his ninth home run, but his throwing error handed the Pittsburgh Pirates the go-ahead run in a 10-7 victory Tuesday night at St. Louis.

“You can’t grade it on how hard it is,” McGwire said. “I made a bad throw and the floodgates opened. It’s that simple.”

McGwire hit his 531st homer with a man on in the first against Jason Schmidt. And Jim Edmonds tied McGwire for the team lead when he connected on a 1-and-2 pitch from Jose Silva with one out in the seventh for a 5-4 lead.

One out later, Ray Lankford hit his fourth home run. Lankford also homered off Mike Williams in the ninth, boosting the Cardinals’ major league-leading total to 59.

But by then the game was out of reach. The Pirates rallied for six runs in the eighth, starting off the inning against Heathcliff Slocumb (0-1), who entered with a career 0.36 earned-run average in Busch Stadium.

“You’re feeling pretty good and things are just not going your way,” Slocumb said. “It’s one that got away from us.”

Wil Cordero and Pat Meares singled, and Luis Sojo walked, loading the bases. Pinch-hitter John Vander Wal greeted Mike Mohler with a two-run single that tied the score at 6-6.

With one out and runners on first and second, McGwire ranged to his right to field Warren Morris’ grounder and tagged out Bruce Aven heading to second. Trying for the double play, he followed with a high floating toss to first base that was way past Mohler’s reach. It was his first error of the season and it allowed Vander Wal to score.

San Francisco 7, New York 1--Bobby Estalella hit the first grand slam at San Francisco’s new bayside ballpark and Livan Hernandez (1-4) pitched an eight-hitter for his first win of the season.

Cincinnati 7, Philadelphia 0--Denny Neagle (3-0) gave up one run in six innings, and Sean Casey hit a two-run homer at Philadelphia.

Arizona 5, Milwaukee 1--Steve Finley homered twice, and Todd Stottlemyre gave up four hits in seven innings at Milwaukee.

Colorado 12, Montreal 6--Jeffrey Hammonds hit the second grand slam of his career and Scott Karl made a respectable bid to stay in Colorado’s starting rotation as the Rockies romped at Denver.

San Diego 8, Florida 3--Shortstop Damian Jackson had a two-run homer among his three hits, scored three runs and made an acrobatic play at San Diego as the Padres ended a four-game losing streak.