By STEVE OVERBEY, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols had an absolute blast. And not on the plate this time, both.

The longtime slugger made his first profession pitching look Sunday night time, closing out a 15-6 blowout for the St. Louis Cardinals over the San Francisco Giants that gave Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina the main league document for wins by a beginning battery.

Molina homered and drove in 4 runs, Wainwright tossed six efficient innings and St. Louis roughed up Carlos Rodón early. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado every added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who took two of three within the sequence after dropping two of three to struggling Baltimore. Goldschmidt had three RBIs.

Pujols, the Cardinals’ designated hitter, entered to pitch within the ninth inning for the primary time in his 22-year profession. He gave up a three-run homer to Luis Gonzalez and a solo shot to Joey Bart however managed to get the ultimate three outs with loads of margin to spare.

“A dream come true to say that I did it,” mentioned Pujols, fifth on the profession listing with 681 dwelling runs. “It was enjoyable. It wasn’t enjoyable giving up two bombs. I feel the followers had fun. I’m positive the fellows that took me deep did, too.”

The 42-year-old Pujols turned the oldest participant to make his pitching debut since Lena Blackburne introduced himself in at age 42 in his last recreation as a participant/supervisor for the 1929 Chicago White Sox.

With the Cardinals forward by 13 and the result all however determined, Pujols overheard supervisor Oliver Marmol asking for somebody to throw the ultimate inning so the workforce may keep away from utilizing one other reliever.

“They have been trying and I used to be like, `I’Il do it. Why not?’” Pujols mentioned.

He took loads of good-natured ribbing from teammates.

“He’s obtained to maintain the ball down,” Molina screamed within the locker room.

Pujols had an evidence.

“The factor is, I couldn’t even get it there. Every time I attempted to maintain it down, I used to be bouncing it,” he mentioned.

LaMonte Wade Jr. grounded out towards Pujols to finish it.

Wainwright and Molina broke the main league mark with their 203rd victory as a beginning battery. They handed Warren Spahn and Del Crandall, who amassed 202 wins for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves from 1949-63.

“It’s such an honor to be a part of this document,” Molina mentioned.

The duo has started 311 video games collectively for St. Louis, third all-time behind Spahn/Crandall (316) and Mickey Lolich/Bill Freehan (324) of the Detroit Tigers from 1963-75.

Wainwright and Molina have been drenched in almond milk and soda by teammates within the clubhouse.

“It’s a blessing that I get to do that with him for so long as we have now,” Wainwright mentioned.

Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer for San Francisco, which misplaced its second in a row after successful six straight.

Molina capped a four-run outburst within the first inning off Rodón (4-2) with a two-run single. The 39-year-old catcher added a two-run homer off reliever Zack Littell within the fifth to make it 11-0.

Wainwright (4-3) gave up two runs and three hits. He struck out 5 and walked two. The 40-year-old right-hander retired 14 of the primary 15 batters he confronted. Gonzalez obtained the Giants’ first hit with a two-out single within the fifth.

Rodón allowed eight runs and 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings. He had given up simply seven earned runs over his earlier six begins this season.

Every St. Louis starter had successful by the sixth inning. Pujols was 2 for 3 on the plate with a double. He scored twice and drove in a run.

St. Louis outfielder Juan Yepez singled within the first inning. He has reached safely in every of his first 11 video games, the longest streak by a Cardinals rookie since Luis Alicea went 23 successive video games to start his profession in 1988.

The Cardinals have been 0-4 in Sunday night time video games final yr earlier than successful of their first do this season.

Gonzalez got here in from the outfield to pitch within the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. He gave up a run-scoring single to Dylan Carlson earlier than getting Harrison Bader to fly out.

“It was an excellent time, a wild night time,” Gonzalez mentioned. “That (homer) simply capped off the night time. Some fairly historic issues occurred to me on this recreation.”

Blackburne, an enormous league infielder from 1910-19, is healthier identified for one thing in addition to that pitching cameo in his 40s: Years later he took some muck from the Delaware River and developed Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud, used all through the majors and minors for seven many years to rub up new baseballs earlier than video games and make them simpler to grip.

San Francisco RHP Yunior Marte was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and gave up two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of reduction. INF Donovan Walton was despatched to Sacramento.

Cardinals RHP Alex Reyes has been shut down after experiencing extra shoulder soreness. Reyes, sidelined all season, felt discomfort once more whereas taking part in catch. He had an MRI final week and can stay inactive till the outcomes are identified. “Unsure if it’s the identical space,” Marmol mentioned. “But it’s shoulder discomfort.”

Giants: LHP Alex Wood (3-2, 3.60 ERA) will face Colorado RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-2, 4.88) within the opener of a three-game sequence at Coors Field on Monday. Wood didn’t permit an earned run over 5 1/3 innings in a 9-2 win towards the Rockies on Tuesday.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (3-1, 1.49 ERA) faces the Mets within the opener of a four-game set Monday night time in New York — although a storm is within the forecast. Mikolas has allowed two runs or fewer in all seven begins this season. The Mets had not introduced a starter but.

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By DAVID BRANDT, AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — It was no shock when Luka Doncic seemed prepared for Game 7, calmly draining his first three photographs to present the Dallas Mavericks an early lead.

The stunner came visiting the following two hours: The top-seeded Phoenix Suns had no response.

Doncic scored 35 factors, Spencer Dinwiddie added 30 and the Mavericks blitzed the Suns with a 123-90 knockout Sunday night time, advancing to the Western Conference finals for the primary time since 2011.

“Lots of people stated it might be a blowout,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd stated with a smile. ”They have been proper.”