ALBERT Pujols moved into a tie for fourth place all-time with his 696th homer and Nolan Arenado hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the ninth Saturday (Sunday in Manila) as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals downed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5.
With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth against Pirates reliever Wil Crowe (5-9), Yadier Molina singled up the middle and was replaced by pinch-runner Lars Nootbaar, who went to third on Paul DeJong’s single to shallow right.
Brendan Donovan grounded out, and Nootbaar was thrown out at home on Corey Dickerson’s fielder’s choice. Paul Goldschmidt walked, and then Arenado cleared the bases to make it 7-4.
Pujols finished 3-for-4, hitting his two-run shot in the sixth and adding an RBI single in the eighth, and Donovan homered for the Cardinals, who had lost two straight.
In other games, it was the Yankees 10, Rays 3; Giants 5, Cubs 2; White Sox 10, Athletics 2; Tigers 8, Royals 4; Red Sox 17, Orioles 4; Mets 11, Marlins 3; Blue Jays 11, Rangers 7; Guardians 6, Twins 4; Angels 6, Astros 1; Brewers 5, Reds 1; Phillies 8, Nationals 5; Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 1; Mariners 3, Braves 1; and Dodgers 8, Padres 4.
Yankees 10, Rays 3
New York tagged Tampa Bay starter Corey Kluber for six runs in the first inning en route to a victory that extended its lead in the American League East.
Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson, who returned from a brief stint on the paternity list, hit a second-inning homer. Aaron Judge did not hit a homer in his quest to beat Roger Maris’ record of 61 long balls but did hit three singles, including a first-inning RBI.
Yankees starter Jameson Taillon allowed six hits on three runs in 7 1/3 innings.
Giants 5, Cubs 2
Logan Webb allowed two runs through seven solid innings, and Joey Bart’s two-run homer highlighted a four-run second for visiting San Francisco, which snapped a five-game skid with a victory over Chicago.
Webb (13-8) allowed a run in each of the first two innings, then settled down and retired 13 straight batters over one stretch.
Meanwhile, Bart recorded three hits while David Villar, who homered in the eighth, and ex-Cub Joc Pederson each had two for San Francisco, which won for just the fourth time in 17 road contests.
