JUPITER, Fla. (AP) _ Craig Paquette, the St. Louis Cardinals' so-called 10th regular, had a day reminiscent of his strong finish last year.

Paquette hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs Saturday in a 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has a team-leading six RBIs for the Cardinals, who sent the Dodgers to their 10th loss in 11 spring games.

``I don't think anybody likes losing any game,'' said Chad Kreuter, who homered for the Dodgers. ``But it's easier, I guess, to accept it in spring training where you're not running out your `A' teams on an everyday basis.''

Kreuter played for Kansas City last year, and the Royals' 1999 spring training record showed how results can be deceiving.

``We had the best record in baseball, and it didn't mean a thing,'' Kreuter said. ``All it meant was we were giving maximum effort.''

Last year, Paquette had 10 homers, 37 RBIs, a .516 slugging percentage and started at five positions in 37 games after the Cardinals acquired him on the trade deadline from the New York Mets.

He had an 11-game hitting streak and homered in four straight games, with 10 RBIs, in September and came to spring training with a job secured for the first time in several years.

``It's the best feeling I think I've ever had in the big leagues, coming to camp knowing I'm going to make the team and knowing how well I do is how many at-bats I'm going to get, and that we have a good team,'' Paquette said.

Manager Tony La Russa plans to give Paquette a handful of starts every week all over the field. He can play three infield positions and two in the outfield. He's second on the team with 23 at-bats this spring and has eight hits.

``I'm hoping I'm out there every day to show them I deserve to be in there every day when the season starts,'' Paquette said. ``I know we've got a pretty set team, but the better I do the more chance I've got to play.''

Paquette, batting cleanup with Ray Lankford resting for the second straight day with a sore right knee, had a run-scoring single in the first and hit his first home run of the spring in the third off Carlos Perez. J.D. Drew and Adam Kennedy also homered for St. Louis.

Catcher Eli Marrero made it 7-for-8 throwing out basestealers when he caught F.P. Santangelo in the third. He also had his first strong offensive game of the spring, with a double, single, run scored and stolen base after entering the game 1-for-15.

Perez, 2-10 with a 7.43 ERA in 17 games last season, allowed four runs _ three earned _ and four hits in three innings. In his first spring appearance, he had given up five runs and six hits in two innings of relief, so he felt it was a step in the right direction.

``That's what I want, to do better every day,'' Perez said. ``This season is not going to be like '99.''

Devon White hit his first homer of the spring for the Dodgers, a two-run shot in the fourth off Dave Veres. White had been 1-for-10 with no RBIs. Jeff Branson drove in two runs.

Veres, the Cardinals' new closer, has given up three home runs in six spring innings but was in a good mood about it. He allowed two homers the last time out.

``I cut my home runs in half,'' he said. ``That's all right.''

Cardinals starter Kent Bottenfield worked three scoreless innings, allowing two hits.

Notes: Drew is 11-for-24 on the spring with a double, triple, and four RBIs. ... Fernando Vina was 2-for-3 with an RBI single and two steals and is 8-for-13 with five steals on the spring. ... Lankford's left knee was surgically repaired after the 1998 season, but Lankford said he felt soreness on the right knee after playing on a harder surface at Fort Lauderdale against the Orioles on Thursday. He expects to play on Sunday against the Dodgers at Vero Beach.