While every win requires a team effort, two names come to mind rather quickly when describing the Cardinals’ 4-2 victory over the Dodgers Monday: Albert Pujols and Mark Mulder.
Pujols drove in all four runs for St. Louis, doing it all with home runs. He started the scoring in the first inning with a solo shot, his eighth of the year, off Los Angeles starter Odalis Perez. With the score tied 1-1 in the fifth, Pujols got to Perez again with a three-run homer to give St. Louis a 4-1 advantage. In 12 career at-bats against Perez, Pujols has four home runs.
While Pujols took care of the Dodgers at the plate, Mulder did the same on the mound. He lasted seven innings and allowed one run off five hits and two walks. Mulder finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts to improve to 5-1 on the season and he lowered his ERA to 2.70.
Julian Tavarez worked 2/3 of an inning in the eighth and was charged with an unearned run, Ray King got the final out of the inning and the first two in the ninth and Al Reyes got the final out with a strikeout for his third save of the season.
