Will Smith had two hits and Michael Grove pitched five solid innings in his first career win as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched top team in the National League with a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Two days after hitting 700 homers, Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols received a standing ovation when he was announced as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and struck out.
Grove (1-0), in his sixth appearance and fifth start, gave up one run on three hits to help the Dodgers match a team record with 106 wins, something they achieved in 2019 and 2021. Andre Jackson pitched the final three innings to earn his first save and left fielder Joey Gallo had a spectacular catch on Dylan Carlson’s drive to end the game.
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman doubled in the first inning for 191 hits, matching a career high set in 2018 with Atlanta.
The Angels scored twice in the first. After Freeman’s RBI hit, Adam Wainwright walked Gallo with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.
Yadier Molina singled in the second to put St. Louis up 3-1, but Smith’s single in the bottom half regained the two-run lead. Cody Bellinger doubled to right field to increase the lead to 4-1.
Wainwright (11-11) gave up four runs and six innings with three walks in three innings.
For the Cardinals, Puerto Rican Yadier Molina 3-1 with an RBI. The Dominican Albert Pujols 1-0.