Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Cardinals 7, Mariners 4
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — The bases were loaded, and Albert Pujols didn't waste his chance. Pujols hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, and Tino Martinez added a three-run homer in the eighth to lead Woody Williams and the St. Louis Cardinals over the Seattle Mariners 7-4 Tuesday night.
“It was a great opportunity,” Pujols said. “I'm glad it went out of the park. That was a big at-bat.”
Williams (3-2) ended a personal two-game losing streak, limiting the Mariners to one run and four hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked three.
Steve Kline and Dave Veres finished the seven-hitter.
Trailing 1-0, the Cardinals loaded the bases against James Baldwin (4-6) in the sixth on singles by Eli Marrero and Fernando Vina and an intentional walk to J.D. Drew.
Pujols hit a 2-0 pitch over the center-field fence for his 14th homer of the season and second career slam. The 2001 NL Rookie of the Year had a grand slam at Pittsburgh last Sept. 21.
“That's why it's so important to control the count,” St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. “He got behind and he had to come after him.”
Pujols is hitting .429 (12-for-28) with three homers, four doubles and 12 RBIs in his last seven games.
On his grand slam, All-Star center fielder Mike Cameron leaped high and hung on the fence in a futile attempt to catch the ball.
“I saw Mike Cameron and said, 'Don't tell me he got it,”' Pujols said.
The Cardinals, shut out by Jamie Moyer the night before, had not scored in 19 innings before Pujols connected.
Pujols had 37 homers and 130 RBIs for the Cardinals last season, but said he hasn't felt any pressure this year.
“I have a great teammate in Tino,” he said. “I don't think there's any pressure at all. We've got 25 guys on this team and they can do their share.”
La Russa is happy with Pujols' production.
“He's having a very solid year,” he said.
Martinez, who played with the Mariners from 1990-95, homered off Arthur Rhodes to make it 7-1 in the eighth.
“Tino has hit quite a few, and that young guy in left field can swing the bat, too,” Mariners manager Lou Piniella said, referring to Pujols.
Martinez is hitting .241, but he has driven in 34 runs.
“Check his RBIs,” La Russa said. “He's not really up to his average, but RBIs are good. Early on, even when he was struggling, every time we had a clutch at-bat you can count on him to concentrate better and do a good job.”
Martinez enjoys hitting at Safeco Field. He played in the Kingdome when he was with the Mariners.
“I like the ballpark,” he said. “I think it's a great place, a great atmosphere. Once that first inning goes by, you see the ball well here.”
In the bottom of the eighth, John Olerud hit an RBI double off Kline to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Ruben Sierra added a two-run shot off Veres, Seattle's first home run in five games.
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Cameron singled, stole second and scored on Dan Wilson's one-out triple to right field.
Williams improved his career record to 2-5 against the Mariners. He beat them when he was with the Padres in San Diego on July 15, 2000.
Baldwin, who lost for the fifth time in six decisions, went seven innings. He allowed four runs on six hits.
Baldwin lamented the home run he gave up to Pujols.
“Albert's a very powerful young man and he made me pay for it,” Baldwin said.
Vina was 3-for-4 with a double, his seventh three-hit game this season. He leads the Cardinals with 20 multihit games.
Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki went 2-for-3 for his AL-leading 29th multihit game, boosting his batting average to .377 — tops in the majors.
“He knows what he's doing and his bat stays in the strike zone for a long time,” Williams said.
Notes: Pujols' grand slam was the third by a Cardinals player this season. The others were hit by Jim Edmonds on April 17 at Arizona and Vina on May 26 at Pittsburgh. ... Martinez hit his eighth homer of the season and the fifth of his career at Safeco Field. He played the last six seasons with the New York Yankees. ... Carlos Guillen was back at shortstop for the Mariners for the first time since May 31, when he was hit in the left ring finger while attempting to bunt in Baltimore. ... Suzuki walked twice, giving him 32 walks this season, including an AL-leading 13 intentional passes. He walked 30 times last year. ... Suzuki stole his 19th base, and Cameron his 11th to give the Mariners 71 this season, tops in the AL. ... The Mariners have been outhomered 32-19 at home this year.
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Cardinals 7, Mariners 4 
