photo: Yadier Molina. Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina played their final regular season home game to conclude a 3-2 week for the St. Louis Cardinals that included a division-clinching celebration last Tuesday. Our history feature recaps Pujols’ home run feats in 2013 and 2014.
Game recaps
Monday, September 26– Off day
Tuesday, September 27 – Cardinals 6 at Brewers 2
The Cardinals played their final series in Milwaukee, a two-game set beginning Tuesday. The Cardinals won Game 1, 6-2 and clinched the NL Central title. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned nine and walked one to earn his 12th win of the season.
Andre Pallante relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in the seventh. Ryan Helsley tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Cardinals went ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Brendan Donovan led off with a double, advanced to third on a ground out by Lars Nootbaar and scored on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt.
St. Louis scored again in the second to increase the lead to 2-0. Dylan Carlson doubled, advanced to third on an Andrew Knizner ground out, and scored on a wild pitch.
In the fourth, Knizner added a two-run home run. In the fifth, Nootbaar doubled and scored on a single by Goldschmidt.
St. Louis scored their final run in the sixth when Carlson doubled and later scored on Juan Yepez’ single.
The Brewers finally got on the board in the home half of the sixth with one run, and added the second run in the seventh.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Carlson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Knizner had two RBI.
On the base paths, Goldschmidt stole his seventh base of the season. Tommy Edman was picked off second base.
Wednesday, September 28 – Cardinals 1 at Brewers 5
The Cardinals fell to the Brewers in the second and final game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Jose Quintana pitched five innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out seven and walked two. Quintana took the hard-luck loss, his seventh.
Chris Stratton relieved Quintana and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Steven Matz threw a scoreless frame. Jake Woodford got the final out of the seventh. JoJo Romero allowed three runs without recording an out in the eighth before Giovanny Gallegos finished the eighth with no more runs charged.
The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the third, then added a second run in the sixth. St. Louis scored their only run in the seventh on a solo home run by Andrew Knizner.
Milwaukee added three more runs in the eighth for the final score of 5-1.
Knizner was 2-for-4 with St. Louis’ only RBI.
On the base paths, Alec Burleson stole the first base of his MLB career.
Thursday, September 29 – Off day
Friday, September 30 – Cardinals 2, Pirates 1
In the opener of the final series of the season at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals eked out a win 2-1 over the Pirates. Starter Jack Flaherty pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his second win of the season.
Andre Pallante relieved Flaherty and pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Giovanny Gallegos followed with 1 1/3 clean frames. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth for his 19th save of the season.
The Pirates scored first with their only run in the fourth off Flaherty. The Cardinals quickly tied it in the home half of the fourth on a solo home run into Big Mac Land from Albert Pujols. It was long ball #701 for the slugger.
St. Louis took the lead the very next inning. Brendan Donovan, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado singled, with the latter scoring Donovan.
Two very good catches were made in the field. The first was by Lars Nootbaar in the eighth, as he snagged a fly ball in foul territory in a basket catch that sent him into the stands. In the ninth, Goldschmidt fell over the tarp to catch a pop up in foul territory for the final out of the game.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Pujols and Arenado each had an RBI.
On the base paths, Dylan Carlson was caught stealing.
Saturday, October 1 – Cardinals 13, Pirates 3
The Cardinals pummeled the Pirates for 13 runs and a decisive victory in the second game of the weekend series at Busch Stadium. Starter Jordan Montgomery fared better than in his previous three starts. The left hander pitched six innings, gave up two runs on four hits, struck out five and walked one. Montgomery earned his ninth win of the season.
Steven Matz relieved Montgomery and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Jake Woodford tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
St. Louis jumped ahead quickly with six runs in the first inning. Brendan Donovan led off with a double. Lars Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt walked. Nolan Arenado grounded into a force out and Donovan was out at home. Albert Pujols plated Nootbaar and Goldschmidt on a single. Alec Burleson walked to load the bases. Corey Dickerson blasted a grand slam to right center field to give the Cardinals a 6-0 lead.
The Pirates put up two runs in the top of the second. The Cardinals added four more runs in the home second for a lead of 10-2. Donovan was hit by a pitch. Goldschmidt reached on a fielder’s choice. Arenado doubled to score Donovan. Pujols walked. Burleson singled to plate Goldschmidt and Arenado. Dickerson singled and Yadier Molina lined into a double play that brought in Pujols.
The score remained 10-2 until the eighth. Pittsburgh scored their third and final run of the game in the top half of the eighth. The Cardinals answered with three runs in the home eighth. Donovan walked and Nootbaar doubled. Dylan Carlson singled to score Donovan and Nootbaar. Carlson came home on an error on a ground ball by Burleson.
Dickerson was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Carlson, Pujols and Burleson each had two RBI.
Paul DeJong made a fielding error.
Sunday, October 2 – Cardinals 5, Pirates 7
The Cardinals were defeated in the final game of the weekend series with the Pirates. Starter Adam Wainwright has not bounced back to form, as the 41-year-old right hander pitched only 4 2/3 innings, gave up six runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two. Wainwright suffered his 12th loss of the season.
Zack Thompson relieved Wainwright and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. JoJo Romero and Chris Stratton combined for the final two scoreless innings.
The Cardinals took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Brendan Donovan reached on an error and Alec Burleson followed with a double. Albert Pujols drove in Donovan and Burleson on a double. Pujols later scored on a sac fly by Yadier Molina.
The Pirates quickly tied the game in the second and went ahead 4-3 in the third. St. Louis answered with the tying run in the home half of the third on a solo home run by Pujols, the 702nd of his career.
In the fourth, Paul DeJong’s RBI double gave the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. It was short-lived, as Pittsburgh scored two runs in the fifth to retake the lead, then made it 7-5 in the seventh.
Pujols was 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored. Juan Yepez was 2-for-3. Molina and DeJong each had an RBI.
Pujols and Molina celebrated before final home game
In a very emotional and moving ceremony before the game on Sunday, the Cardinals honored retiring players Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. The pre-game ceremony before a packed house at Busch Stadium allowed fans to celebrate the storied careers of both veteran Cardinals.
The ceremony included short speeches by Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr, Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III and President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and both honorees also said a few words to fans as well as friends and family in attendance.
The two Cardinals retirees were presented with three gifts, a set of golf clubs, an engraved silver plaque, and portraits of each by Puerto Rican artist Carlos Mercado.
Also present at the ceremony were the children of Albert Pujols, as well as Molina’s family, which included his mother, brothers, wife and children. Molina spoke to his mother in Spanish during the speech.
Cardinals Hall of Famers Jason Isringhausen, Matt Holliday, and Ray Lankford were also present. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones presented Pujols and Molina proclamations that established October 4 and October 5 to be Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols Days in St. Louis.
When Wainwright left Sunday’s game, manager Oliver Marmol also replaced Pujols and Molina, allowing the trio to exit the field with standing ovations from the full-house crowd (see main photo above).
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | WCGB | E# |
| St. Louis | 92 | 67 | 0.579 | |||
| Milwaukee | 84 | 75 | 0.536 | 8 | 2 | E |
| Chicago | 73 | 86 | 0.459 | 19 | 13 | E |
| Cincinnati | 60 | 99 | 0.377 | 32 | 26 | E |
| Pittsburgh | 60 | 99 | 0.377 | 32 | 26 | E |
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the short week with a record of 3-2. They split two with the Brewers and took 2-of 3 from the Pirates. The Cardinals clinched the NL Central Division with the win over the Brewers on Tuesday.
The last three games of the regular season will be played Monday through Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Following that, the Cardinals will have a day off before the best of three Wild Card Series begins in St. Louis on Friday. The Cardinals’ opponent is yet to be determined but will either be the Phillies or the Brewers.
St. Louis’ offense improved somewhat over from the stagnation of the last couple of weeks. There is still work to be done, however. Top offensive performers over the last seven days by OPS are Albert Pujols (1.638), Andrew Knizner (1.326), Dylan Carlson (.944), Brendan Donovan (.938), Tommy Edman (.929 in 7 ABs), Paul Goldschmidt (.862), and Ben DeLuzio (.804 in 7 ABs). At the bottom is Paul DeJong (.231).
The pitching has been fine for the most part. The Cardinals will be making a decision very shortly concerning the starting pitchers for the first round of the playoffs and the decision may be dependent which team they face. Miles Mikolas has been best starter of late and will most likely be one of the starters regardless of opponent. Jose Quintana should also be given strong consideration. Other than those two, the decision of a third starter will come down to whether a right hander or left hander would be the best choice under the circumstances. Adam Wainwright has not pitched well, so he may be the odd man out at least for the time being. That leaves either righty Jack Flaherty or lefty Jordan Montgomery as the other options.
The Cardinals end the regular season with three in Pittsburgh. None of the three games have any particular significance other than as an opportunity to fine tune the offense before the postseason begins and determine who will be on the playoff roster.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
There are no transactions to report.
Injury Report
- RHP Alex Reyes (frayed right labrum) remains on the 60-day IL. The right hander had surgery on the shoulder back in May and will not return in 2022.
- RHP Drew VerHagen (right hip impingement) remains on the 60-day injured list. VerHagen had hip surgery and is out for the remainder of the season.
- OF Tyler O’Neill (left hamstring strain) has begun baseball activities. The outfielder has done some batting cage work and will do some agility work this weekend. An optimistic take is that he will play in the final series in {Pittsburgh, but it is more likely he won’t return until the playoffs begin.
- RHP Jordan Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 15, due to right arm fatigue and neck spasms. The right-hander will throw some bullpen sessions over the weekend and is expected to be activated for the final series in Pittsburgh.
Looking Ahead
Following the final home series of the season over the weekend, the Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh to end the regular season with three games with the Pirates.
The postseason begins on October 7. The NL Central winning Cardinals, seeded third, will play either the Padres, Phillies or Brewers in a best of three Wild Card Series. All games will be played at Busch Stadium with no off days.
Should the Cardinals advance beyond the Wild Card series, they will face the winner of the NL East in a best of five National League Division Series which begins on October 11. Home field advantage goes to the team with the higher seed, which in this case is the winner of the NL East, which receives a first-round bye.
The regular season schedule can be found here.
Blast from the Past
In the next installment of our series on the career home run record of Cardinals great Albert Pujols, we take a look at his 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Angels.
Following is each season with totals for each and further details about the home runs hit.
2013 season
This was Albert Pujols’ 13th major league campaign. Pujols hit 17 home runs in 2013. He had two games with two home runs. Albert played in only 100 games, missing the final six weeks with an injury.
Pujols’ first home runs of the 2013 season (#476 and #477) were hit on April 6, 2013, against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. The Angels beat the Rangers 8-4. The first long ball was a two-run shot in the first inning against starter Matt Harrison. The second was a solo shot in the sixth inning off Jason Frasor.
The final home run by Albert in 2013 (#492) was hit at Angels Stadium off Minnesota Twins starter Kyle Gibson on July 23. It was a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth. The Angels lost to the Twins 10-3.
Further details on the 17 home runs hit by Pujols in 2013.
- Fourteen of the 17 home runs were hit against right-handed pitchers. Three were hit off left-handers.
- Of the 17, nine came on the road and eight at home.
- Albert hit three home runs each off the Oakland Athletics and the Chicago Cubs.
- Pujols hit all 17 home runs against 17 different pitchers.
- Albert launched two home runs each at Oakland Coliseum, Rangers Ballpark, and Wrigley Field.
- Locations of the 17 home runs were Up the Middle (10) and Pulled (7).
- Long balls by month: April (4), May (4), June (5), and July (4).
- Type: Fly Balls (13), Line Drives (4).
2014 season
In his 14th major league season and third with the Angels, Albert hit 28 home runs. He had two games with two home runs.
The first 2014 home run (#493) was hit on April 8, 2014, against the Mariners at Safeco Field. The two-run shot was hit in the first inning against starter James Paxton. The Angels lost to Seattle 5-3.
He hit his final home run of 2014 (#520) at Oakland Coliseum on September 22 in the eighth inning against Athletics reliever Evan Scribner. It was a three-run home run. The Angels lost to Oakland 8-4.
Further details on the 2014 home runs.
- Pujols hit 22 home runs against right-handed pitchers and six against left-handers.
- He hit 15 home runs on the road and 13 at home.
- Albert smacked three home runs each against the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Houston Astros.
- Pujols hit two home runs each off David Price (TBR), Evan Scribner (OAK), Taylor Jordan (WSN), and Colby Lewis (TEX).
- Safeco Field did not hold three of the 28 home runs.
- The locations of the home runs were: Pulled (17), and Up the Middle (11)
- Long balls by month: April (9), May (5), June (2), July (4), August (4), and September (4).
- Type of home runs: Fly Ball (18), Line Drive (10).
The next installment will review the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Angels.
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