Mac, Junior, Sammy Each Hit One

Mark McGwire hit his 37th home run on Tuesday night, tying Reggie Jackson's record for most homers before the All-Star game.

McGwire

Jackson had 37 homers for Oakland before the All-Star game in 1969, but hit only 10 more the rest of the season. McGwire has five games left before this year's All-Star game next Tuesday in Denver.

McGwire, who is on pace to break Roger Maris' record of 61 homers in a season, also doubled in the first and singled in the fourth. The homer was his 32nd in 60 career games at Busch Stadium.

Sosa increases HR record for June

CHICAGO Matt Williams had a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly to help struggling Willie Blair to his first victory in over a month as the Arizona Diamondbacks posted a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs, who wasted Sammy Sosa's record 20th homer in June.

Sosa's 33rd homer with one out in the eighth inning ended a record-setting month for the Cubs outfielder, whose 20 homers this month set a major-league record. Despite 24 homers in his last 30 games, Sosa was not voted to the NL All-Star team.

As Sosa rounded the bases after clubbing reliever Alan Embree's 3-2 pitch over the left-center field wall, several fans came out of the stands and rounded the bases with him, stumbling over each other in an effort to join their hero.

Chicago has lost eight of its last nine games.

Griffey hits 33rd homer

SEATTLE Ken Griffey Jr., elected as an AL starter for the All-Star game ealier in the day, hit his league-leading 33rd homer in the first inning for the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Griffey connected in his 12th consecutive series when he homered off the foul pole in right field off Colorado's Pedro Astacio, his first homer ever against the Rockies.

It was Griffey's 14th homer of June.

A year ago when Griffey led the AL with 56 homers, he had 29 homers at the end of June.

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