The band is back together again and they are having fun. Albert Pujols his first home run as a cardinal and his first game pitched. It would be nice to see the Cardinals win the world championship. It would be great for baseball for real. I can hope can’t I,
Albert Pujols had an absolute blast. And not at the plate this time, either.
The longtime slugger made his first career pitching appearance Sunday night, closing out a 15-6 blowout for the St. Louis Cardinals over the San Francisco Giants that gave Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina the major league record for wins by a starting battery.ADVERTISEMENT
Molina homered and drove in four runs, Wainwright pitched six effective innings and St. Louis roughed up Carlos Rodon early. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado each added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who took two of three in the series after losing two of three to struggling Baltimore. Goldschmidt had three RBIs.
Pujols, the Cardinals’ designated hitter, entered to pitch in the ninth inning for the first time in his 22-year career. He gave up a three-run homer to Luis Gonzalez and a solo shot to Joey Bart but managed to get the final three outs with plenty of margins to spare.
“A dream come true to say that I did it,” said Pujols, fifth on the career list with 681 home runs. “It was fun. It wasn’t fun giving up two bombs. I think the fans had a good time. I’m sure the guys that took me deep did, too.”
Keeping the game fun
The 42-year-old Pujols became the oldest player to make his pitching debut since Lena Blackburne brought himself in at age 42 in his final game as a player/manager for the 1929 Chicago White Sox.
The Cardinals ahead by 13 and the outcome was all but decided, Pujols overheard manager Oliver Marmol asking for someone to throw the final inning so the team could avoid using another reliever.
“They were looking and I was like, ‘I’ll do it. Why not?'” Pujols said.
He took plenty of good-natured ribbing from teammates.
“He’s got to keep the ball down,” Molina screamed in the locker room.
Pujols had an explanation.
“The thing is, I couldn’t even get it there,” he said. “Every time I tried to keep it down, I was bouncing it.”
LaMonte Wade Jr. grounded out against Pujols to end it.
Wainwright and Molina broke the major league mark with their 203rd victory as a starting battery. They passed Warren Spahn and Del Crandall, who amassed 202 wins for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves from 1949 to 1963.
“It’s such an honor to be part of this record,” Molina said.
The duo has started 311 games together for St. Louis, third all-time behind Spahn/Crandall (316) and Mickey Lolich/Bill Freehan (324) of the Detroit Tigers from 1963 to 1975.
Wainwright and Molina were drenched in almond milk and soda by teammates in the clubhouse.
“It’s a blessing that I get to do this with him for as long as we have,” Wainwright said.
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