McGwire climbs HR ladder

“It's absolutely unbelievable — phenomenal — to hear my name mentioned with those guys,” McGwire said after homering three times and setting a career high with seven RBI in the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.

St. Louis and the Reds remain tied for first in the National League Central Division.

McGwire has 539 homers and is eighth on the career list, three ahead of Mantle. McGwire's 64th multihomer game broke a tie with Mays for the second-most ever. Babe Ruth had 72.

“It means a lot to me, but I have to worry about playing a game tomorrow,” McGwire said. “It's not like my career is over. I think about those guys a lot, but until I retire, it's not going to hit me.”

McGwire, who took over the major-league home run lead with 17, broke a tie with Mantle in the first inning when he hit No.537, a three-run drive off Curt Schilling (1-2).

McGwire hit a two-run homer in the second inning — only the 54th player to reach the left-field upper deck at Veterans Stadium — to make it 5-0. He added a two-run shot in the eighth off Wayne Gomes for No.539.

“When you see greatness, whether it's athletics or entertainment, it never gets old,” St.Louis manager Tony LaRussa said.

LaRussa was most impressed that two of McGwire's homers came off Schilling, who has fanned McGwire eight times in 18 at-bats.

“He's as good a right-hander as there is in the league,” the manager said. “When you get one off an upper-echelon pitcher, it's special.”

Just 17,137 paid to see the game at Veterans Stadium, and the actual attendance looked even smaller.

With the fifth three-homer game of his career, McGwire became the only NL player with a pair of three-homer games in Philadelphia; he also did it May 19, 1998.

McGwire is 4-for-18 in his career against Schilling, with all four hits being homers, including one April 30. He had been 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in the three-game series against the Phillies.

“When you face a guy like Schilling, who has owned me my whole career, I see the best of the best,” McGwire said. “If he throws 93-94 (mph) to someone else, he throws 97-98 to me, with movement. I was lucky.

“I don't look at things as locked in, hitting the ball real well. I look at it like constant adjustments. Last night I couldn't hit a ball with a wet newspaper. Tonight, I centered some balls.”

Next up for McGwire on the career home run list is former Phillies star Mike Schmidt at 548. McGwire received a standing ovation after his second homer, and fans booed loudly when he was intentionally walked in the fourth.

McGwire, who is averaging one home run per 5.5 at-bats, is the fourth player this season to hit three in a game. He joins: Alex Rodriguez, Seattle, April 16 at Toronto; Kevin Elster, Los Angeles, April 11 at San Francisco; Todd Helton, Colorado, May 1 vs. Montreal.

St. Louis has homered in 36 of 40 games and is on pace to hit 344, shattering the record of 264 set by the 1997 Seattle Mariners.

Garrett Stephenson (6-0) allowed two runs and nine hits in 5ö innings. The Cardinals are averaging 9.3 runs in his seven starts.

“It's just a great feeling to have somebody go out and with one swing, get you three runs,” Stephenson said. “He's phenomenal.”

Stephenson is 3-0 against the Phillies, who traded him to St.Louis along with Ricky Bottalico for Ron Gant, Jeff Brantley and Cliff Politte in November 1998.

ACTIVE HR LEADERS 1. Mark McGwire ....... 539 2. Barry Bonds ....... 460 3. Jose Canseco ....... 438 4. Ken Griffey Jr. ....... 411 5. Cal Ripken Jr. ....... 409 6. Fred McGriff ....... 398 7. Harold Baines ....... 376 8. Rafael Palmeiro ....... 371 9. Albert Belle ....... 363 10. Sammy Sosa ....... 349