Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright make history in 13-0 rout

St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols hit his 690th career home run. Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright help Cardinals make MLB history in 13-0 rout of Rockies

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 8/18/22

What year is it?

On Thursday afternoon, 42-year-old Albert Pujols and 40-year-old Adam Wainwright helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 13-0 drubbing of the Colorado Rockies.

Pujols finished the day 2-for-3 with five RBI, capped off by a pinch-hit grand slam in the third inning. The homer was the 690th home run of Pujols' career, drawing him ever closer to the iconic 700 number.

HOME RUN NO. 690 FOR ALBERT PUJOLS IS OH SO GRAND!!!

TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/T19nzOKKEf #STLCards pic.twitter.com/LPQfcwchmi
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) August 18, 2022

"He looks the same as when he left me," Wainwright told reporters after another standout performance from Pujols, via the Associated Press and ESPN.com. "This is what he's supposed to look like, here, this stadium, doing these things."

Meanwhile, Wainwright was no slouch on the bump for the Cardinals, pitching a gem on Thursday.

Wainwright threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while posting seven strikeouts. He brings his win/loss record to 9-8, with a 3.11 ERA in 24 starts this season.

Adam Wainwright's final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 89 pitches/65 strikes.

If you subtract that clunker against the Yankees, he's allowed one earned run in August. #STLCards
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) August 18, 2022

According to Elias Sports, the Cardinals are the first team in MLB history to have two players, 40 years or older, combined for a grand slam and a seven-inning shutout.

Albert Pujols hit a pinch-hit grand slam and Adam Wainwright pitched 7 scoreless innings today.

The Cardinals are the 1st team in MLB history to have a 40-year-old hit a grand slam and another 40-year-old throw at least 7 shutout IP in the same game, according to @EliasSports. pic.twitter.com/8HYm46qkNd
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 18, 2022

Pujols' return to the Cardinals has, in a way, rejuvenated his career. The 21-year veteran is batting .258/.335/.479 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 68 games.

With St. Louis on track to reach the postseason and this year likely to be his swan song, Pujols seems to be enjoying the ride.

"I think at the end of the day, just being part of a great organization, a great group of guys that want to win, young players they're watching, I'm blessed to be here, and just help those guys out," Pujols said. "It's fun, trust me."

The Cardinals currently own a three-game advantage over the Milwaukee Brewers for the lead in the NL Central, with a record of 66-51.

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