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Cardinals Rout Rockies

Albert Pujols launched a pinch-hit grand slam and drove in five runs, Adam Wainwright pitched seven sharp innings and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Colorado Rockies 13-0 Thursday for a three-game sweep.

 

The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cardinals were the first team in big league history to have a player at least 40 years old hit a grand slam and another at least 40 to pitch seven shutout innings in the same game. Pujols is 42, two years older than Wainwright.

 

The Rockies lost starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela and right fielder Charlie Blackmon in the second inning to leg injuries. Senzatela crumpled to the ground after attempting to cover first base and Blackmon was removed an inning after beating out an infield single.

 

The NL Central-leading Cardinals won their fourth in a row and sent Colorado to its fifth straight loss. St. Louis has won 12 of its last 13 home games and has taken 12 straight from the Rockies at Busch Stadium.

 

Pujols hit his 690th career home run, connecting off Austin Gomber and capping a five-run third that made it 10-0. It was Pujols' 16th career grand slam - his first as a pinch hitter - and it moved him into a tie with Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Dave Kingman for 10th-most slams of all-time.

 

Pujols added an RBI single.

 

Wainwright (10-9) gave up three hits, two of them infield singles. He struck out seven, walked none and retired his final 13 batters.

 

Genesis Cabrera and Chris Stratton each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to complete the four-hitter.

 

Lars Nootbaar hit a two-run homer. Paul Goldschmidt added two doubles and a single.

 

Senzatela (3-7) struggled prior to his injury, giving up five runs in 1 2/3 innings. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 6.41 ERA in his eight road starts this season.

 

Miles Mikolas (9-9, 3.44 ERA) will begin a three-game series at Arizona, which will start LHP Tommy Henry (2-1, 4.15 ERA) on Friday night. Mikolas is 1-1 with a 2.55 in four career appearances, including two starts, against the Diamondbacks.

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