Big Mac Attacks In Cards Win

May 23, 1998 / 2:55 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Hitting the target a fast-food restaurant put for him didn't exactly hit the spot for Mark McGwire.

McGwire's major league-leading 21st home run landed in Big Mac Land, a section of seats in the upper deck in left next to the foul pole, in the St. Louis Cardinals' 4-3, 12-inning victory. All 47,549 fans with a ticket get a free Big Mac sandwich at McDonald's, but McGwire makes nothing off the promotional connection.

Not only that, he doesn't even like the Big Mac.

"I've never had one in my whole life," McGwire said. "I've never touched one. I don't like that special sauce and all the other stuff."

McGwire went to McDonald's when he was in high school, but his sandwich of choice was the quarter pounder. Manager Tony La Russa admitted to consuming a Big Mac, just not in years.

"I had one back when I was a senseless person," La Russa said, then paused. "Now I'll get sued like Oprah."

Ron Gant, who homered in each of his first three games in the leadoff slot, had the game-winning RBI single in the 12th.

David Howard and Tom Lampkin singled off Julian Tavarez (2-3) with one out in the 12th to put runners at first and third before Gant, singled through the hole of a drawn-in infield off Robb Nen.

"If you're going to be out there that long, you might as well win it," Gant said. "I just got enough to put it through."

Unlike McGwire and La Russa, Gant was looking forward to the free Big Mac.

"It was a long game," Gant said. "I'm kind of looking forward to one of those Big Macs."

Curtis King (1-0), the sixth St. Louis pitcher, worked a scoreless 12th inning for the victory.

The Giants tied the game in the ninth when Barry Bonds doubled to chase Kent Mercker. After Jeff Kent struck out, pinch-hitter Bill Mueller homered over the right field wall off Jeff Brantley. Two of Mueller's four home runs have been pinch-hits.

Mercker allowed five hits and two runs in eight-plus innings as the Cardinals handed the Giants their third loss in nine games.

McGwire has 26 home runs and 53 RBIs in 46 career games at Busch Stadium and 408 for his career, moving past Duke Snider for 25th on the career list. He homered off a 1-1 pitch from Mark Gardner with one out in the sixth inning after Ray Lankford had singled to end a string of 11 consecutive batters retired by Gardner.

The drive, measured at 425 feet, was the shortest of his last six home runs. McGwire entered the game averaging a major league-best 414 feet per homer and his previous five long balls had traveled 451, 471, 440, 478 and a Busch Stadium-record 545 feet.

"That was probably a short one for him," Gardner said. "I think he's locked in and he's guessing right and seeing the ball good.

"I don't know if it's going to last all year, but he's swinging the bat real well."

The Cardinals commemorated the 545-foot homer by placing a huge band-aid over the sign just below the upper deck in center field that he dented May 16 against Florida.

The home run also extended the Cardinals' team record of homering in consecutive games to 14 in a row. McGwire has nine of St. Louis' 29 home runs during the run, and he had a drive to the center field wall caught by a leaping Darryl Hamilton to end the third.

Lankford added a solo homer off Steve Reed in the eighth inning to make it 3-1, a drive measured three feet longer than McGwire's homer.

"I don't think that's going to happen too many times," Lankford said.

Mercker and Gardner entered with 6.38 ERAs, but both pitched well. Gardner allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings and Mercker retired 10 in a row before Hamilton singled in the eighth.

Jeff Kent singled off the third-base bag, went to third when right fielder Brian Jordan barely missed a diving catch of Charlie Hayes' short pop and scored on a groundout by Stan Javier to give the Giants the lead in the second.

Notes: The Cardinals are unbeaten in Mercker's seven starts at Busch Stadium, scoring 61 runs. ... Mercker had allowed 22 earned runs in 24 innings in his previous five starts. ... Cardinals pitchers had their first 1-2-3 first inning in 27 games when Mercker retired Hamilton, Rich Aurilia and Barry Bonds for openers. ... The Giants are 21-5 when they score four or more runs and 6-16 otherwise. ... San Francisco is 1-6 at Busch Stadium the last two seasons.