2 HRs for Pujols; Molina pitches
Albert Pujols hit two home runs, then caught the warmup tosses when catcher Yadier Molina made his first career pitching appearance to close out the visiting Cardinals’ 18-4 romp Sunday against the Pirates.
Molina gave up two homers and four runs while working the ninth inning, eventually completing the Cardinals’ threegame sweep.
Pujols, 42, boosted his career home-run count to 683. Pinchhitting for Nolan Arenado with the Cardinals ahead 11-0 in the fifth, Pujols launched a 425-foot drive off the leftfield rotunda. He then added a three-run homer against Pirates infielder Josh VanMeter in the ninth.
Exactly a week after Pujols took the mound for the first time in his big-league career — and also allowed four runs — the 39-year-old Molina got his turn with the Cardinals ahead 18-0. Pujols was behind the plate to warm up his longtime teammate between innings.
Molina yielded a solo homer to Yoshi Tsutsugo and a three-run drive to Jack Suwinski among his four hits. His velocity topped out at 69 mph.
Twins 7, Royals 6
Kyle Garlick highlighted a five-run eighth inning with a two-run homer, then Gio Urshela singled home the tiebreaking run in the ninth as the Twins rallied from a six-run deficit to stun the host Royals.
Brady Singer allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings for the Royals, but relievers Taylor Clarke, Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont combined to yield seven runs in the eighth and ninth.
Red Sox 8, Mariners 4
Franchy Cordero hit a grand slam with two outs in the 10th inning, capping a five-run rally that lifted the Red Sox past the visiting Mariners and gave them a sweep of the four-game series. Trevor Story continued his recent power surge with his fifth homer in the last four days for the Red Sox.
Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
Garrett Stubbs and Roman Quinn scored from third and second, respectively, on an error by second baseman Max Muncy with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the host Phillies past the Dodgers. Muncy misplayed a dribbler by Alec Bohm that would have ended the game.
Nationals 8, Brewers 2
Freddie Peralta was roughed up for five runs in three-plus innings before leaving with tightness in his right shoulder, and the visiting Nationals got hits from their first eight batters in a six-run fourth on their way to walloping the Brewers.