Albert Pujols 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.
Molina homered and drove in four runs, Wainwright tossed six effective innings and St. Louis roughed up the Giants early. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado each added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who took two of three in the series.
Wainwright climbs to 4-3 after working 6 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 5. Wainwright and Molina broke the major league mark with their 203rd victory as a starting battery.
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 margin to spare.
Cardinals RHP Alex Reyes has been shut down after experiencing more shoulder soreness. Reyes, sidelined all season, felt discomfort again while playing catch. He had an MRI last week and will remain inactive until the results are known.
RHP Miles Mikolas (3-1, 1.49 ERA) faces the Mets in the opener of a four-game set Monday night in New York — though rain is in the forecast, 5:15 with the pregame and the first pitch at 6:10 on KIRX.
First place Milwaukee leads second place St. Louis by 2 1/2, third place Pirates are 6 1/2 out, fourth place Chicago is 8 games out.