'Zona Rallies Despite Mac's HR

June 25, 1999 / 3:04 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Hanley Frias hit a two-run double to cap a three-run rally in the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks snapped a four-game losing streak with an 8-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Mark McGwire hit his 23rd homer for St. Louis, which overcame a 5-2 deficit and led 7-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.

Luis Gonzalez hit a leadoff single off Scott Radinsky, and reliever Ricky Bottalico walked Travis Lee. Bernard Gilkey hit a one-out, RBI single and Bottalico then hit pinch-hitter Andy Fox to load the bases.

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Bottalico (1-4) complained to umpires after Fox stuck out a knee and allowed the pitch to hit him. Frias then drove the ball over center fielder Darren Bragg, giving Arizona its 12th final-inning win this year.

Vladimir Nunez (2-1) got the win despite allowing a ninth-inning run on Edgar Renteria's sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals tied it with three runs in the sixth and took a 6-5 lead on Thomas Howard's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth off rookie Byung-Hyun Kim.

McGwire hit a two-run homer in the first, a 452-foot drive to left-center. He is second in the NL in homers behind Chicago's Sammy Sosa, who hit two Thursday to increase his total to 26.

Trailing 5-2 in the sixth, the Cardinals tied it on Willie McGee's run-scoring infield single, Renteria's RBI double and Howard's run-scoring single off Arizona starter Omar Daal. Renteria and Howard each went 3-for-4.

Gonzalez and Greg Colbrunn each drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who were outhit 14-11.

Daal was rocked for 10 hits and five runs in six innings.

After McGwire's home run put St. Louis ahead 2-0, Arizona tied it on Gonzalez's first-inning sacrifice fly and Matt Williams' run-scoring double play grounder in the third.

The Diamondbacks took a 5-2 lead in the fifth on Gonzalez's RBI double and Colbrunn's two-run triple.

St. Louis starter Darren Oliver, who is winless in his last six starts, allowed five runs, seven hits and four walks in five innings. He also committed a pair of balks in the fifth, including one that negated a groundout by Gnzalez, who then hit the RBI double.

Notes: McGwire damaged a neon sign on a restaurant above the left-field stands with one batting-practice shot, and hit another on the restaurant roof. Both were estimated at over 500 feet. ... The Diamondbacks called up left-hander Nick Bierbrodt, their original first draft pick, and right-hander Vicente Padilla from the minors and designated relievers Dan Carlson and Ed Vosberg for assignment. ... Tony Womack stole two bases after Oliver tried to pick him off at first. ... Cardinals rookie Joe McEwing went 1-for-5, extending his hitting streak to 16.