Mac Smacks 60th HR In Loss

Pokey Reese hit a three-run homer in the 12th inning as the Cincinnati Reds overcame Mark McGwire's 60th homer and continued their headlong rush toward the playoffs Sunday with a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds blew a two-run lead in the ninth Fernando Tatis hit his second homer to tie it and fell behind on Edgar Renteria's double in the top of the 12th before rallying for their 21st last at-bat victory.

The Reds have won five of six games, positioning themselves for their first postseason appearance since 1995. The Reds moved a game ahead in the NL wild-card race as the New York Mets lost to Philadelphia 3-2.

The Reds also moved within a half-game of Houston in the NL Central as the Astros lost at Milwaukee 11-3.

At 93-63, the Reds have their most victories since the Big Red Machine went 102-60 in 1976 on its way to a second consecutive World Series championship.

McGwire's solo shot in the eighth inning off Scott Sullivan made him the third player to hit 400 homers in a decade. Babe Ruth had 467 in the 1920s and Jimmie Foxx had 415 in the 1930s.

It also made McGwire the second to get 60 homers twice. Sammy Sosa reached the 60-60 mark eight days earlier in Chicago.

The crowd of more than 40,000 politely applauded the homerwhich left the Cardinals down 4-2. Tatis drained the emotion out of the stadium with a two-run homer in the ninth off Danny Graves.

Graves, who pitched two innings in Saturday's game, blew a save for the ninth time in 36 chances. Scott Williamson (12-7) got the win despite giving up the go-ahead run in the 12th.

Before McGwire's 373-foot shot provided an historic footnote, Mike Cameron put the Reds ahead with a three-run homer and helped them reach a nice, round number that was noteworthy as well.

His homer off Manny Aybar put the Reds up 4-1 in the seventh and gave them 200 for the season, only the second time in its history that Cincinnati has reached the mark. The 1956 Reds hit 221 homers.

McGwire finished 2-for-5 with a double, a homer and a fly out to the warning track in right field. He's 7-for-39 career in Cincinnati with four singles, a double and two homers.

Juan Guzman gave up five hits in seven innings, including Tatis' solo homer in the second, as he continued to make the Reds' July 31 trade with Baltimore pay off in the stretch run.

Guzman is 3-0 in five starts in September with a 1.69 ERA.

The Reds got a break before the game: The Cardinals scratched Kent Bottenfield, their top starter, for the final game of the series on Monday. Bottenfield won't pitch anymore this season because of fatigue.

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