WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) _ Mark McGwire hit two home runs, a rare opposite-field shot to right and a monstrous drive on Sunday to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 15-11 win over the Cleveland Indians.

McGwire connected for a two-run shot to right field in the first inning and then led off the sixth with his sixth homer of the spring, a towering, 465-foot shot to left-center that thrilled a standing-room only record crowd at Chain O' Lakes Park.

``It doesn't really matter,'' said McGwire who downplays his March home runs the same way he does the ones he hits in August and September. ``It doesn't go on your bubble gum card. You just have to go through the aches and pains and get ready for the season.''

Many of the 9,042 fans arrived early to watch McGwire and the Cardinals take batting practice, and baseball's home run king didn't disappoint with some tape-measure shots during BP.

But he saved his best stuff for the game, hitting both homers off Indians starter Charles Nagy, who also gave up a two-run shot to J.D. Drew in the sixth inning.

Larry Sutton and Lou Lucca also homered for the Cardinals, who scored seven runs in the ninth _ five off projected Indians closer Paul Shuey _ to blow it open.

Russell Branyan hit a grand slam in the ninth and had five RBIs for Cleveland.

Of McGwire's major league record 70 homers in 1998, only four were to the right of center field, so fans got a unique treat when he hit a 2-2 pitch from Nagy over the wall in right in the first.

In the sixth, McGwire got every bit of an outside fastball from Nagy.

``A bomb,'' Nagy called it.

Indians manager Charlie Manuel is glad his pitchers will only have to face McGwire in three games this season.

``He's strong, he's big and he's scary,'' Manuel said. ``I'd like to have him.''

Kenny Lofton, making his second start at DH this spring, had two hits and two RBIs for the Indians.

Lofton had offseason shoulder surgery, but is recovering more quickly than Cleveland expected. He is likely to play in center field against Atlanta on Tuesday and if he doesn't have any setbacks he could be ready for opening day.

Jim Edmonds, acquired last week in a trade with Anaheim, had three of the Cardinals' 18 hits.

Notes: Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight caught while St. Louis manager Tony La Russa hit grounders to McGwire during pregame batting practice. Knight, who is good friends with La Russa, also visited with Indians players Jim Thome and John McDonald before the game. ``We just talked baseball and basketball,'' said McDonald. ``He was great. You can see why guys run through walls for him.'' Knight sat in the Cardinals' dugout during the game. ... Musician Bruce Hornsby was also at the game. ... The Indians re-asssigned left-hander Chris Haney to their minor-league camp. Haney, who split his time between Cleveland and Triple-A Buffalo last year, was 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA this spring. However, opponents were batting .444 against him. ... Thome and his father, Chuck, posed for pictures with McGwire and Knight before the game. ... The previous record crowd was 8,841 for a March 20 game last year against the Yankees.