MLB NEWS
Pujols Hits 300th Homer; Cards Lose to Cubs 2-1
Published by MoonDog on July 5, 2008
Albert Pujols hit his 300th career home run Friday night, becoming the fifth-youngest player to reach the milestone.
Unfortunately for St. Louis, it would be their only run of the game as the Cardinals lost to the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs 2-1.
Carlos Zambrano came off the DL to pitch 6 solid innings, limiting the Cardinals to just four hits. Zambrano walked two and struck out five, improving his record to 9-3 and lowering his ERA to 2.96.
Pujols lined his 18th homer of the season on a 2-2 pitch from the Cubs’ Bob Howry in the eighth inning. He beat Hall of Famer Mel Ott for the fifth-fastest by one day.
Pujols reached the plateau at 28 years, 170 days. Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees is the youngest player to reach 300 homers at 27 years, 249 days.
The Cubs got on the board early with a first inning home run off the bat of Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs other run came on a solo homer in the fourth from catcher Geovany Soto.
St. Louis starter Braden Looper (9-6) didn’t pitch badly, tossing seven innings allowing just the two runs on six hits. Looper walked one and struck out five.
The Cubs’ Kerry Wood pitched the ninth to record his 22nd save.
With the victory Chicago leads the Cardinals by 3.5 games in the NL Central.
The series continues today in St. Louis with the Cardinals expected to send Kyle Lohse (10-2, 3.67) to the mound against Cubs’ starter Ted Lilly (9-5, 4.15).
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