*Photo from the St. Louis Post Dispatch*
One thing that has been fascinating to watch this season has been the year of Albert Pujols. Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs, Pujols hit a grand slam, and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Colorado Rockies with a 13-0 shutout win on Thursday afternoon in St. Louis.
This game was a strange one for Pujols. He entered the game in the 3rd inning as a pinch hitter for Brendan Donovan, and still had a 5 RBI game in 3 at bats. He helped the Cardinals win their 4th straight game, and 7th out of 10, sitting at a 66-51 record and first place in the NL Central.
Asked about the Cardinals recent hot streak after the deadline, Pujols said that "We’re playing right now, I think the way that we were expecting ourselves to play early in the year. We didn’t, but we had some glimpses here and there. Now we’re playing the best baseball we have played all year long."
Goldschmidt started the scoring in the first inning, hitting an RBI single to make it 1-0 Cardinals. Donovan scored on a groundout from Arenado, and Tyler O'Neill hit an RBI single, making it 3-0 after one inning. In the second inning, Donovan added an RBI single and Goldschmidt added an RBI double to make it a 5-0 game.
When the 3rd inning came, the Cardinals erupted. Dylan Carlson had an RBI single to make it 6-0, and then Pujols belted a pinch hit grand slam, breaking the game wide open to make it a 10-0 score. A two run home run in the 5th from Lars Nootbaar and an RBI single from Pujols in the 7th made it a 13-0 game.
When asked about his stellar game at the plate, Pujols said that "It was just about execution and a really good moment, just like what happened on Sunday. I’m just glad I was able to come through and help the guys win. Hopefully we can continue to play the way we have this whole month."
Getting the start for the Cardinals was Adam Wainwright, who cruised to get the win. Wainwright allowed 3 hits, walking no one and striking out 7 hitters over 7 shutout innings. Genesis Cabrera pitched the 8th inning, and Chris Stratton worked the 9th to seal the win.
Starting for the Rockies was Antonio Senzatela, who had to leave early due to injury. Senzatela allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, lasting just 1 2/3 innings before leaving hurt. Austin Gomber came in and handled 2 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs over that time. Robert Stephenson then pitched two innings, and Jake Bird pitched the next two.
Rockies manager Bud Black said of Senzatela's health that "Antonio is going to get a MRI in the morning. He definitely has a knee sprain to a certain extent. How significant? We won’t know until tomorrow. Devastating, right?"
Up next, the Cardinals hit the road to face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, with Miles Mikolas lined up to start. The Rockies host the San Francisco Giants on Friday, with Jose Urena to get the start.
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