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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Todd Jones figured he was in trouble, judging
from the sound of the ball leaving Mark McGwire's big bat. But Jones got a break.
The monster shot hooked foul, Jones struck out McGwire, then got
a double-play grounder to end the game and the Detroit Tigers beat
the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 before a crowd of 39,081 Friday night,
second-largest of the season at Comerica Park.
"Big home runs off me have a very distinct sound," Jones said.
"This one had that. It was like 'zzzzzt' -- like a golf ball off a
driver. I knew I'd gotten away with one when it went foul. I got
lucky."
Jones, tied for the major league lead in saves with 18 in 19
opportunities, started the ninth, attempting to preserve the second
straight win for Jeff Weaver (3-5) who pitched eight strong
innings.
But Shane Halter, inserted as a defensive replacement at third
base for Dean Palmer, misplayed Jim Edmonds' leadoff grounder for
an error. That brought up McGwire, who missed the previous two
games with a sore hamstring, to the plate.
"That's the best part about the game, when you're facing their
stopper," McGwire said. "He went right at me."
Jones got two quick strikes, then McGwire put his classic big
swing on the next pitch. Slightly shaken, Jones then ran the count
full before getting McGwire on a called third strike.
"He struck me out," said McGwire, who went 0-for-4 with three
strikeouts. "But you look forward to those kinds of situations.
Sometimes it turns out good, and sometimes it doesn't."
McGwire has one home run since May 24.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with him tomorrow," Jones
said. "I threw him everything I had tonight."
Because Jones was successful, however, Garrett Stephenson, who
won his first eight decisions, lost for the second straight time as
Palmer homered and Jeff Weaver pitched eight strong innings for
Detroit.
"That's the way they pitched McGwire all night," Cardinals
manager Tony LaRussa said. "They were mean and nasty. I give them
credit."
Stephenson (8-2), was never in command, allowing four runs and
seven hits in six innings.
Weaver (3-5) allowed four hits -- including Thomas Howard's
two-run homer -- in eight innings. He struck out five and walked
none.
A two-out single by Deivi Cruz drove in Palmer for a 1-0 Detroit
lead in the second. With two outs in the third, Juan Gonzalez singled and scored
when Bobby Higginson drilled a 3-0 pitch off the screen-fence
facing the right-field bullpen for an RBI double and 2-0 lead.
The Tigers went up 3-0 in the fourth when Robert Fick tripled
and scored on an RBI grounder by Brad Ausmus. Palmer made it 4-0 with his 12th homer, leading off the sixth.
"My location wasn't great, but I never felt like I struggled,"
Stephenson said. "I made a dumb pitch to Cruz, and Palmer hit a
homer down the line. So, I tip my hat to Palmer."
Edmonds singled to start the St. Louis seventh, yet Weaver
seemed in control, striking out McGwire for the second time. But
Howard followed with his fifth homer, a high fly into the
right-field seats, cutting the Tigers' lead to 4-2.
Except for a hit batter in the Cardinals second, Weaver faced
the minimum number of batters for the first 4 1-3 innings until
Larry Sutton lined a one-out single to right in the fifth. But
Weaver struck out J.D. Drew and got Eli Marrero on a flyball to
left to end the inning.
Game notes
Weaver got all three outs on strikeouts in the second. He
got McGwire looking, hit Howard on the ankle, then struck out Larry
Sutton and Drew. ... Higginson made a good running catch in left
field, snagging McGwire's sinking liner just above his shoe tops to
end the St. Louis fourth. ... Fernando Vina, who went 0-for-4, is
hitless in his last 15 at-bats. ... Weaver, who has gone seven or
more innings in seven of his 10 starts, became the first Detroit
starter to win three games. Relievers Matt Anderson and C.J.
Nitkowski also have three wins.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
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Detroit 4
St. Louis 2
NY Mets 12
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