Pujols makes first pitching appearance of career

ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols had an absolute blast. And never on the plate this time, both.

The longtime slugger made his first profession pitching look Sunday night time, closing out a 15-6 blowout for the St. Louis Cardinals over the San Francisco Giants that gave Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina the foremost league file for wins by a beginning battery.

Molina homered and drove in 4 runs, Wainwright pitched six efficient innings and St. Louis roughed up Carlos Rodon early. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado every added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who took two of three within the collection after dropping two of three to struggling Baltimore. Goldschmidt had three RBIs.

Pujols, the Cardinals’ designated hitter, entered to pitch within the ninth inning for the primary time in his 22-year profession. He gave up a three-run homer to Luis Gonzalez and a solo shot to Joey Bart however managed to get the ultimate three outs with loads of margin to spare.

“A dream come true to say that I did it,” stated Pujols, fifth on the profession listing with 681 house runs. “It was enjoyable. It wasn’t enjoyable giving up two bombs. I feel the followers had fun. I am positive the fellows that took me deep did, too.”

The 42-year-old Pujols grew to become the oldest participant to make his pitching debut since Lena Blackburne introduced himself in at age 42 in his remaining recreation as a participant/supervisor for the 1929 Chicago White Sox.

With the Cardinals forward by 13 and the end result all however determined, Pujols overheard supervisor Oliver Marmol asking for somebody to throw the ultimate inning so the crew might keep away from utilizing one other reliever.

“They have been trying and I used to be like, ‘I’Il do it. Why not?’” Pujols stated.

He took loads of good-natured ribbing from teammates.

“He is obtained to maintain the ball down,” Molina screamed within the locker room.

Pujols had a proof.

“The factor is, I could not even get it there. Each time I attempted to maintain it down, I used to be bouncing it,” he stated.

LaMonte Wade Jr. grounded out towards Pujols to finish it.

Wainwright and Molina broke the foremost league mark with their 203rd victory as a beginning battery. They handed Warren Spahn and Del Crandall, who amassed 202 wins for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves from 1949 to ’63.

“It is such an honor to be a part of this file,” Molina stated.

The duo has began 311 video games collectively for St. Louis, third all-time behind Spahn/Crandall (316) and Mickey Lolich/Invoice Freehan (324) of the Detroit Tigers from 1963 to ’75.

Wainwright and Molina have been drenched in almond milk and soda by teammates within the clubhouse.

“It is a blessing that I get to do that with him for so long as we’ve,” Wainwright stated.

Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer for San Francisco, which misplaced its second in a row after profitable six straight.

Molina capped a four-run outburst within the first inning off Rodón (4-2) with a two-run single. The 39-year-old catcher added a two-run homer off reliever Zack Littell within the fifth to make it 11-0.

Wainwright (4-3) gave up two runs and three hits. He struck out 5 and walked two. The 40-year-old right-hander retired 14 of the primary 15 batters he confronted. Gonzalez obtained the Giants’ first hit with a two-out single within the fifth.

Rodon allowed eight runs and 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one. He had given up simply seven earned runs over his earlier six begins this season.

Each St. Louis starter had successful by the sixth inning. Pujols was 2-for-3 on the plate with a double. He scored twice and drove in a run.

St. Louis rookie outfielder Juan Yepez singled within the first inning. He has reached safely in every of his first 11 video games, the longest streak by a Cardinals rookie since Luis Alicea reached in 23 successive video games to start his profession in 1988.

The Cardinals went 0-4 in Sunday night time video games final 12 months earlier than profitable of their first do this season.

Gonzalez got here in from the outfield to pitch within the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. He gave up a run-scoring single to Dylan Carlson earlier than getting Harrison Bader to fly out.

“It was a very good time, a wild night time,” Gonzalez stated. “That (homer) simply capped off the night time. Some fairly historic issues occurred to me on this recreation.”