Albert Pujols hit a grand slam for his 690th career homer and drove in five runs as the St. Louis Cardinals rolled past the visiting Colorado Rockies 13-0 on Thursday afternoon.
Pujols’ 16 career grand slams are tied for 10th most all-time with Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Dave Kingman.
Lars Nootbaar went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and three runs for the Cardinals, who completed a three-game sweep of the Rockies. They have won 13 of their last 14 home games and 15 of their last 19 games overall.
The Rockies, who have lost five consecutive games, lost starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela and outfielder Charlie Blackmon to apparent leg injuries during the first two innings.
Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (9-8) allowed just three hits in his seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven batters and walked nobody.
Senzatela (3-7) was helped off the field in the second inning after trying to avoid a collision with first baseman Elehuris Montero on fielding play. He allowed five runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings before giving way to reliever Austin Gomber.
Blackmon was injured running to first base on an infield single in the first inning. He initially stayed in the game but was replaced by Wynton Bernard in right field.
The Cardinals wasted no time starting their onslaught. In the first inning, singles by Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt produced one run. Nolan Arenado’s groundout drove in another run and Tyler O’Neill’s RBI single made it 3-0.
In the second inning, Tommy Edman hit a double and scored on Donovan’s RBI infield single on the play that left Senzatela injured. Goldschmidt’s run-scoring double made it 5-0.
The Cardinals doubled their lead to 10-0 in the third inning. Nolan Gorman and O’Neill walked, Dylan Carlson hit an RBI single, Nootbaar walked and Pujols hit his grand slam.
Nootbaar’s two-run homer in the fifth inning made it 12-0. Pujols’ RBI single in the seventh inning made it 13-0.
–Field Level Media
