Cardinals Win With McGwire's 8th HR

April 18, 1998 / 4:27 AM EDT / CBS/AP

When Mark McGwire plays at Busch Stadium, he's every bit the modern-day Babe Ruth.

McGwire hit his major league-leading eighth home run in the St. Louis Cardinals' 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. All eight homers have come at home, in only 28 at-bats.

"I love playing here," McGwire said. "It's a great baseball park, great batter's box. When you get in the box, there's a lot of confidence."

Why not? Since the Cardinals acquired him from Oakland last July 31, he has 21 homers in 33 games at Busch. With 112 at-bats in St. Louis, he is averaging a home run every 5.3 at-bats at home.

McGwire's career ratio of homering every 11.94 at-bats, second only to Ruth's 11.76, is pedestrian in comparison. So far this season he's outhomered the Phillies, who have seven.

McGwire gives the fans that cheer his every move and scream at his batting practice home runs a big assist.

"How can you not want to play with all the energy in the stands?" McGwire said. "It's a wonderful place."

On the road, although he's batting .400, so far it's been a longball shutout.

"Would you want to bet any money that's going to be true the rest of the year?" Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

McGwire also walked three times, increasing his major league-leading total to 19.

"I've walked a lot my whole career, it's nothing new," McGwire said. "You just have to be patient."

McGwire's homer was one of three by the Cardinals. Pinch-hitter Ron Gant broke a fifth-inning tie with a three-run shot and Tom Lampkin hit his fourth for St. Louis, which leads the league with 23 homers in 16 games. The Cardinals also lead the league with 108 runs.

Rico Brogna homered for the Phillies, who have lost three straight.

"We can't slug out with that team," Phillies manager Terry Francona said. "We tried, but we can't do that."

Lampkin homered to lead off the fourth, and McGwire reached the back of the bullpen in left-center off Matt Whiteside with two outs after Delino DeShields singled and stole second.

Whiteside said McGwire was the first batter he faced in the big leagues, and he remembers retiring him on a grounder to short. He didn't consider walking him, even though first base was open.

"I've had success against him in the past," Whiteside said. "I didn't see any reason not to go right after him. If I get it down in the zone, it's a strikeout or a fly ball instead of a home run."

Brogna's two-out homer in the fifth made it 5-all. Gant, hitting just .212 with two RBIs coming in, connected on a full-count pitch off Darrin Winston after John Mabry reached on an infield hit and Gary Gaetti singled to chase Whiteside (0-1).

Gant aid it was the first time he's been comfortable at the plate all year. When he headed to the plate, he heeded some advice from batting coach Dave Parker.

"Parker says when you go up there swing like you mean it," Gant said. "I went up there and wanted to take some good, aggressive hacks."

Cliff Politte (2-0) allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings, and Kent Bottenfield pitched the ninth for his third save.

Cardinals center fielder Ray Lankford left with a tight hamstring after doubling in the first, and is expected to miss at least a few games. Phillies starter Garrett Stephenson limped off the field after getting spiked on the right ankle by Willie McGee on an RBI groundout in the third, leaving with a bruise and a cut, but Francona said he doesn't expect he'll miss a start.

Cardinals second baseman DeShields took a ball off his right shoulder when he tried to make a sweeping tag on Bob Abreu's fourth-inning steal. But he stayed in the game.

Notes: McGwire was 2-for-18 against the Phillies last year with one homer. ... McGwire is 12-for-28 (.429) at home this year and is 36-for-112 (.321) at Busch overall. ... This was the Phillies' first game against a non-NL East opponent. ... Scott Rolen of the Phillies, who was 0-for-5, is 4-for-32 on the road.