Mac Hits No. 31, Cards Flip D'Backs

June 13, 1998 / 3:36 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Mark McGwire is halfway home.

McGwire hit his 31st home run Friday night, a grand slam that left him 31 homers shy of breaking Roger Maris' record and led the St. Louis Cardinals over the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4.

He declined afterward to talk about his record pace, but did say he was so engrossed in preparing for his second time up against former teammate Andy Benes that he didn't realize the bases were loaded.

"I don't want to be ignorant, but I didn't know it was a grand slam," he said. "I was into trying to really mentally prepare myself against Andy, because he got me out the first time, so I wasn't aware of who was on base, and I guess maybe it helped me out."

McGwire, who in batting practice became the first player to hit a ball completely out of the new Bank One Ballpark, connected off Benes (4-7) in an eight-run third inning.

McGwire leads the majors in home runs and is tied with Texas' Juan Gonzalez for the big league lead with 80 RBIs. McGwire has hit 15 home runs in his last 20 games, drawing the admiration of opposing manager Buck Showalter.

"He's a part of the game we should be proud of," Showalter said. "There's something there people want to see."

It was McGwire's 11th career slam. He has now homered in his last 11 series, having missed last week's three-game set at Los Angeles because of back spasms.

McGwire put on a show in batting practice, launching a drive that landed on a ledge above the American flag in left-center field and bounced through a window onto Jefferson Street. The ledge 483 feet from home plate and 89 feet above the field helps support a huge advertising panel that was opened to allow wind to circulate in the roofed ballpark.

"It's overwhelming," McGwire said about the fan interest in his hitting. "I've never seen it. I don't think any other baseball player has seen it."

His 438-foot slam and Royce Clayton's three-run homer highlighted the big inning that carried the Cardinals to only their second win in the last nine games.

Clayton scored two runs in the inning, the first after leading off with a walk.

"I'm more proud of the walk," Clayton said. "That's something that's been missing the past two weeks or so. To start the inning with a walk and steal a base and score, that was the start of that big inning."

Todd Stottlemyre (7-5) pitched into the ninth inning and won for the first time in his last three starts. He overcame Andy Fox's leadoff homer in the first.

Manager Tony La Russa said it was a welcome effort because of St. Louis' thin bullpen.

"Even though we had an off day yesterday, if you chart our games we've been really pushing these guys, some of the leaders in the rotation," La Russa said "I think that adds extra credit to Stottlemyre, because he goes out there knowing that."

Benes left the Cardinals last February for the expansion Diamondbacks, who gave him an $18 million, three-year contract. He beat the Cardinals 8-2 on April 16 in St. Louis. McGwire sat out that game, the second of a doubleheader.

"The fans got to see what they wanted to see," Benes said. "I didn't see what I wanted to see. Maybe it took their attention away from a bad outing for me. It's just bad pitches and bad results."

Benes struck out four of the first six batters, including McGwire. But his control deserted him in the third and he walked Clayton, who scored on a double by Tom Lampkin as the Cardinals erupted.

Notes: Fox's homer was the second leadoff homer in team history. Devon White started a game against Montreal on May 11. ... The Diamondbacks have had an extra-base hit in 54 consecutive games. ... Delino DeShields extended his hitting streak to 12 games.