ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals lost for the fifth time in six games, and they also lost Mark McGwire to injury.

McGwire left Monday night's 7-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning after straining his right thigh and hamstring on a fielding play. He is listed as day-to-day.

	McGwire

Asked whether he was worried, McGwire said, "I don't know. I'll let you know tomorrow. It doesn't feel right."

McGwire went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and has just one homer in his last 11 games. The Cardinals, who lead the majors with 101 home runs, have totaled 15 runs the last six games.

Jermaine Dye tied a Royals record by homering in his fourth straight game, and had three hits. Dye became the ninth Royals player to homer in four straight games when he hit his 18th of the year off Pat Hentgen (4-6) with one out in the third. The last player to do it was Chili Davis from Aug. 23-27, 1997.

"I don't consider myself a home run hitter," Dye said. "I'm still young in this game and still learning every day. My swing is more made for a line drive hitter."

All three of Dye's hits during a weekend series in Pittsburgh were homers, solo shots off Todd Ritchie and Rich Loiselle and a three-run shot off Kris Benson. He didn't homer in June last year.

Mike Sweeney had a two-run double in the sixth and two more runs scored on a fielding error by Shawon Dunston, who moved from left field to first base after McGwire's injury.

Kansas City improved to 5-2 on a nine-game trip, after starting the season 8-17 away from home.

"We lost nine in a row earlier this year and people said we were going to be a terrible road club," manager Tony Muser said. "But the club has competed very well on the road. So far, in a fairly young season, we've kind of righted ourselves on the road."

Mac Suzuki (3-0) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings and got his first career hit when he singled and scored in a four-run sixth.

He retired 12 straight batters after giving up an RBI double off the top of the center-field wall to Dunston in the second before running into trouble in the sixth when the Cardinals scored three runs.

"Today I had to hit, so I didn't have the same concentration on my pitching," Suzuki said. "I guess that's why I lost my focus in the sixth inning."

Jerry Spradlin worked the ninth for his sixth save in eight chances.

Fernando Vina also left the game for St. Louis when he aggravated a right hamstring injury trying to beat out a ground ball in the third inning. He had been nursing the injury since stealing third on Friday against Cleveland and said he'll likely miss a game or two.

"I don't want to mess around and blow it out completely and then be done for a month or two," Vina said. "I've got to be smart."

Vina's replacement, Placido Polanco, walked for the first time in 93 plate appearances this season to start the sixth. He then stole second and scored on Edgar Renteria's single. Eric Davis, who came into the game for McGwire, followed with an RBI double and J.D. Drew drove in another run with a single off Suzuki's glove to cut the gap to 7-4.

Hentgen allowed three runs -- two earned -- and seven hits in five innings. He has one victory in his last eight starts, that coming in a 19-4 victory over Pittsburgh May 20.

"I was battling," Hentgen said. "Was I sharp? No. I was all right."

Game notes
Besides injuring his hamstring, Vina is in a 6-for-38 slump. ... Rookie pitcher Rick Ankiel, who's 7-for-28 with two homers and five RBI, struck out in his first career pinch hit appearance to end the fifth. ... Hentgen has a 10-7 career record against the Royals. ... The Royals are 6-4 in interleague play against the Cardinals. ... George Thampy, 12, of suburban Maryland Heights, Mo., the winner of last week's National Spelling Bee, will throw out the first pitch Tuesday.