ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals had only one hit through eight innings on Thursday night against a collection of Cincinnati pitchers specializing in off-speed pitches. That game resulted in a 3-2 loss for the Cardinals and through five innings — and four different pitchers on Friday — they had only two hits and one run.
But, here is where the stars are supposed to shine.
Paul Goldschmidt, who had been struggling, opened the sixth inning with a double to left center. Nolan Arenado singled to right and Goldschmidt scored to cut a Cincinnati lead to 4-2.
Corey Dickerson flied deep to left and guess who was up next?
On Reynel Espinal’s first pitch to him, Albert Pujols, the brightest star lately in the Cardinals' galaxy, launched a 427-foot, game-tying homer to left. It was the fifth time this season that Pujols had homered on the first pitch.
Ultimately, this starburst in the sixth led to a 6-5 win over the Reds before a capacity house of 47,118 as the big hitters came out again in the seventh following a home run by the Reds' Kyle Farmer in the top of the inning.
Goldschmidt doubled home Tommy Edman with the tying run and Arenado blooped a double to left to send in Goldschmidt as the Cardinals took their first lead of the night.
For history’s sake, the home run was No. 698 of Pujols’ career. For the sake of the game, Pujols’ home run off a 453rd different pitcher either tied or put the Cardinals ahead for the fifth time in his last six home runs.
The homer was the 476th for Pujols in the National League, breaking a tie for 10th with Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Willie Stargell, who hit all 475 of their home runs in the National League.
Earlier, Pujols had been hit in the chest by a pitch, marking the 87th time he had been hit by a pitch as a Cardinal, tying Steve Evans (1908-13) for first in club annals. There almost was a 699th homer but Pujols' blast to left in the seventh was caught at the track.
