Albert Pujols hit two home runs, then caught the warm-up tosses when star catcher Yadier Molina made his first pitching appearance to close out the St. LouisCardinals 18-4 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
After giving up a pair of homers and four runs in the ninth, the Cards completed a three-game sweep.
It wasn't all fun for St. Louis. Steven Matz lasted only four pitches before he was pulled.
It has been an up and down start for Matz, a free-agent addition from the Toronto BlueJays. He was 3-3 with a 6.03 earned run and had a start on Sunday.
Matz said he felt it in the bullpen. I was trying to get through it. Get some outs, just try to get through this.
Pujols now has a career home run count of 683. Pujols hit a grand slam off the left-field rotunda in the fifth to give St. Louis a 11-0 lead.
He hit a three-run home run in the ninth off Josh VanMeter. Pujols is fifth on the all-time home run list, 13 behind Alex Rodriguez, and his 32 at Pittsburgh are the most by an opposing player.
Pujols said that he was here to help the ball club as much as he could. It has never been about me. It has always been about the impact I can make on the players in the organization.
Exactly a week after Pujols took the mound for the first time in his big league career, Molina got his turn. Pujols was behind the plate to warm up his teammate.
A perennial All-Star and Gold Glove star at catching pitches, the 39-year-old Molina didn't do quite as well throwing them. He gave up a three-run drive to Jack Suwinski.
Oliver Marmol said that Yadi had more command of his pitch than Pujols. Missed middle-middle too much.
In his one minute, one second, he threw 14 of 20 pitches for strikes, without a strikeout or walk. Pujols was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217
After Matz left, Angel Rondon entered to strike out KeBryan-Hayes with his first pitch. Rondon was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217
After being recalled from the taxi squad before the game, Rondon made his third major league appearance and first since June 12, 2021.
Nolan Gorman doubled in the first to put the Cards ahead. He went 5-for-10 with two doubles in his first series in the majors.
Edman had three hits. He helped key a six-run second with two doubles.
VanMeter gave up five runs in the ninth after he made his first appearance in the majors. Usually a second baseman and outfielder, VanMeter was pressed into duty as a catcher for the first time in an emergency situation.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.
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