AP

Pujols delivers as Cardinals outlast Reds in 13 innings, 5-3

Aug 31, 2022, 8:50 AM | Updated: 9:39 pm

St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols (5) celebrates with teammates after hitting a sacrifice fly duri...

St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols (5) celebrates with teammates after hitting a sacrifice fly during the 13th inning of the team's baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

(AP Photo/Jeff Dean)


              St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols (5) celebrates with teammates after hitting a sacrifice fly during the 13th inning of the team's baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
            
              Cincinnati Reds second baseman Alejo Lopez (35) catches a fly ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. At right is first baseman Donovan Solano. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
            
              Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Mike Minor (31) throws during the second inning of the team's baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
            
              St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) throws during the second inning of the team's baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
            
              St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols, left, poses with Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto during a ceremony to honor Pujols' upcoming retirement, prior to a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
            
              St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman throws to first after forcing out Cincinnati Reds' Donovan Solano (7) on a double play hit into by Alejo Lopez during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

CINCINNATI (AP) — Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 13th inning, Lars Nootbaar added a two-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals twice used five-man infields to stop the Cincinnati Reds and pull out a 5-3 win on Wednesday night.

In his final game in Cincinnati, Pujols shook off going hitless in five at-bats to deliver against Chase Anderson (0-2), driving in automatic runner Paul Goldschmidt with one out. Nootbaar went deep two batters later.

“I know he enjoyed it,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said of Pujols, who plans to retire after the season. “His last at-bat — he’s done a lot of damage in this ballpark. I enjoyed it.”

The NL Central-leading Cardinals first used an extra infielder in the 11th with Colin Moran on third and nobody out. Moran held up on Jose Barrero’s groundout and Jake Fraley grounded to shortstop Tommy Edman, who threw Moran out at the plate — a call that survived a replay review.

The Cardinals went to five infielders again with one out in the 12th and Edman threw out Austin Romine trying to score on Alejo Lopez’s grounder, helping Andre Pallante (6-4) get the win. Pallante worked the final three innings, allowing Fraley’s RBI single in the 13th.

“That was a cool situation,” Edman said. “It’s kind of a unique shift. It was fun to see it pay off. Pallante’s a big ground pitcher. It helped that both runners are sort of slow. I just try to put in a position where they can get the tag.”

“You’ve got to win a lot of different ways,” Marmol said. “It felt like a National League game tonight. That was fun.”

Pujols remains at 694 home runs, two behind Alex Rodriguez for fourth all-time.

The Reds honored Pujols and Yadier Molina, who’s also playing his final season, during a pregame ceremony. Joey Votto narrated a highlight video before he and Reds manager David Bell presented engraved bats to Pujols and Adam Wainwright, who represented Molina while the catcher was warming up starting pitcher José Quintana in the bullpen.

The Cardinals have won four of their last five games.

The Reds grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third on back-to-back RBI singles by Jonathan India and Nick Senzel.

Nolan Arenado tied the game with a two-run homer off the left field foul pole in the fourth.

Reds left-hander Mike Minor was denied in his bid to win a third straight start for the first time since 2019 for Texas. Minor lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two runs with two walks and one strikeout. He also hit a batter.

Quintana also went 4 2/3 innings. The Reds reached him for seven hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout.

Buck Farmer, Cincinnati’s third of five relievers, came in with one out in the seventh to strike out Corey Dickerson and get Goldschmidt to ground out with runners on second and third.

“It was unbelievable,” Bell said. “The Cardinals are a great team, and I’m just so proud of how our team battled and did every thing we could to win that game. I feel that our team deserved to win that game. Of course, the Cardinals did as well. It was a tough game but a great game to be a part of. It is a reminder of what a great game it is.”

ON A ROLL

India extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games (18-for-54), the best on the Reds this season and the longest active streak in the majors.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Minor hit Edman on his left elbow pad with two outs in the third inning.

Reds: First baseman Donovan Solano and second baseman Alejo Lopez survived a collision that sent both tumbling to the ground while Lopez was making a lunging catch of Arenado’s popup to end the first inning.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-3, 3.28 ERA), Friday’s scheduled starter against the Cubs, pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout in his last start against Chicago on Aug. 22 at Wrigley Field.

Reds: RHP Luis Cessa (3-2, 5.36) is scheduled to make his fourth start since being moved from the bullpen when Cincinnati opens a series against Colorado on Friday.

___

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

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Pujols delivers as Cardinals outlast Reds in 13 innings, 5-3