DODGERS OUTSLUG SLUGGERS : DODGERS 10, ST. LOUIS 7.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

The folks came to see St. Louis' Mark McGwire put on a home run show. He did it in batting practice, and again in the game. Big Mac hit two homers, including one out of Dodger Stadium.

A lesson McGwire learned during his 70-homer crusade last season resurfaced Saturday: in the overall picture, it didn't matter.

McGwire hit two homers totaling 900 feet but St. Louis still lost to the Dodgers 10-7 in front of a season-high 54,179 at Dodger Stadium.

``They were nice hits but if we were to win it would mean a lot more,'' said McGwire, a Pomona native who grew up going to Dodgers games. ``I remember being a young kid having Dodger Dogs. They're the best dogs in baseball. I'd have three or four.''

That is about the extent of how much McGwire wants to talk about homers these days. The National League leader is taking a cue.

Dodgers right fielder Raul Mondesi answered McGwire's 11th and 12th homers with his 16th. He also tripled, drove in two runs and scored twice.

``Let's not talk about the home runs,'' Mondesi said. ``It was a good night for me. We have to keep it going.''

McGwire and Mondesi weren't alone in their long-ball shots.

The Dodgers' Todd Hollandsworth played first base for the first time in his career and hit his first homer in more than a year. St. Louis' Fernando Tatis hit his 13th of the season - and fifth against the Dodgers - but another Dodgers nemesis was retired with the game on the line.

Closer Jeff Shaw, who had allowed runs in his last three outings, had a hairy moment in the ninth trying to secure the win for Darren Dreifort. Shaw allowed a two-out single and walked McGwire to bring up Ray Lankford, who had homered in the ninth last Sunday to beat Shaw.

However, with the Dodgers holding a 10-7 lead, Lankford lined out to first. It allowed Dreifort, buoyed by a five-run Dodgers first inning, to tie Kevin Brown for the team lead in wins. Dreifort is 5-2 while Shaw has nine saves. Clint Sodowsky (0-1) allowed eight runs in 3-1/3 innings and took the loss.

``You always learn from the mistake,'' Shaw said. ``You have to make sure you get the ball in to (Lankford).''

Especially with the way the ball is jumping out of Dodger Stadium. Long viewed as a pitcher's park, the first two months of the season are ruining that reputation.

During the past three seasons there were 1.6 homers hit per game in Chavez Ravine. In 23 games this season the Dodgers and their opponents have hit 72 homers.

Hollandsworth followed McGwire's first-inning homer with his own, a two-run shot to right field in the bottom of the first. It was Hollandsworth's first homer since May 8, 1998.

While more important homers have been hit this season here, none were as impressive as the second one McGwire hit.

After his first shot - a 416-foot homer which left Cincinnati's Cinergy Field as the only major-league park in which he has played in but not homered - the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder astonished everyone in the eighth inning with a two-run blast off Jamie Arnold that cleared the roof of the bleachers in left-center.

With the 484-foot homer, McGwire became the third player to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium. Mike Piazza did it Sept. 21, 1997, and Willie Stargell did it twice. It was McGwire's 12th homer of the season and the 55th time in his career he's hit two in one game.

It also brought the Cardinals within 9-7, but Mondesi homered with one out in the eighth to push the Dodgers lead to 10-7.

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Photo

PHOTO The Cardinals' Fernando Tatis, right, and Mark McGwire celebrate after Tatis' three-run homer in the fourth off Dodgers pitcher Darren Dreifort.

Kevin Karzin/Associated Press