MCGWIRE moves into fifth place with 574th homer

NEW YORK (AP) _ Mark McGwire hit his 574th home run Saturday, moving past Harmon Killebrew for fifth place on the career list. <br><br>McGwire has been bothered by knee problems all season and didn't

Saturday, August 11th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ Mark McGwire hit his 574th home run Saturday, moving past Harmon Killebrew for fifth place on the career list.

McGwire has been bothered by knee problems all season and didn't start the past three games for the St. Louis Cardinals.

But in his third at-bat Saturday against the New York Mets, he connected off Glendon Rusch for his first 20th homer of the season and first since Aug. 1, against Atlanta.

Next on the career list is Frank Robinson with 586.

McGwire's last 10 hits have all been homers, the longest such streak in at least the past 25 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. There is no research done before that.

He hasn't had a hit that didn't go over the fence since singling in his first at-bat July 18, against Houston.

McGwire got a nice ovation from the Shea Stadium crowd after the opposite-field homer, which snapped an 0-for-15 slump.