Pujols hits No. 703, moves past Ruth for 2nd in RBIs

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Albert Pujols hit his 703rd home run Monday night, breaking a tie with Babe Ruth for second place in career RBIs, but the St. Louis Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh 3-2 when the Pirates drew four consecutive walks in the ninth inning to force home the winning run. The 42-year-old slugger connected off right-hander Mitch Keller, pulling a two-run shot into the left-field stands to snap a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. It was Pujols’ 35th career home run at PNC Park, his most at any visiting ballpark. The drive gave Pujols 2,216 RBIs, passing Ruth on the all-time list. Hank Aaron holds the record with 2,297. With the score tied 2-all in the ninth inning, the Pirates loaded the bases when Ke’Bryan Hayes, Miguel Andujar and Rodolfo Castro drew consecutive walks from Giovanny Gallegos (3-6). JoJo Romero relieved and walked rookie Oneil Cruz to end the game. Yohan Ramirez (4-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win. YANKEES 3, RANGERS 1 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Aaron Judge remained at 61 home runs with three games remaining, and Luis Severino pitched seven no-hit innings before Texas broke through against New York’s bullpen. Judge went 1 for 4 with a checked-swing infield single, a groundout, a strikeout and a liner into a double play. He is 2 for 12 with five walks and a hit by pitch since his 61st homer Wednesday in Toronto that tied Roger Maris’ American League record. That is his only homer in 12 games. Judge has a chance to become the first AL Triple Crown winner since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. He leads the AL with 130 RBIs trails Minnesota’s Luis Arraez .315 to 311 in the batting race. Severino (7-3) struck out seven and walked one in his third start since missing two months with a right lat strain. Scott Effross worked the ninth for his his third save with the Yankees. Marwin Gonzalez and Giancarlo Stanton homered in the eighth for New York. Martín Pérez (12-8) allowed only one run over six innings while give up five hits and walking five. PHILLIES 3, ASTROS 0 HOUSTON (AP) – Aaron Nola took a perfect game into the seventh inning and Kyle Schwarber homered twice as Philadelphia clinched its first playoff berth in 11 years. The Phillies clinched at the same ballpark where they secured their last postseason trip on Sept. 14, 2011. That game was a 1-0 victory over the Astros highlighted by a shutout by Hall of Famer Roy Halladay. Philadelphia’s postseason drought was the longest active one in the majors after the Seattle Mariners clinched their first playoff berth in 21 years Friday night. Nola (11-13) struck out nine and didn’t allow a baserunner until Yordan Alvarez singled with two outs in the seventh. David Hensley followed with a single and Nola was replaced by Jose Alvarado, who struck out Kyle Tucker to end the inning. Zach Eflin pitched a scoreless ninth to complete the shutout and get his first save in 11 years of pro ball. Schwarber got things going for the Phillies in their first visit to Houston since Sept. 16, 2012, with a leadoff homer off Lance McCullers (4-2) MARLINS 4, BRAVES 0 MIAMI (AP) – Jesús Luzardo struck out 12 in six innings, Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and Miami prevented Atlanta from clinching its fifth straight NL East title. After sweeping the rival Mets at home over the weekend, Atlanta arrived in Miami needing one win or a New York loss to wrap up the division crown and a first-round playoff bye. But the Braves were unable to solve Luzardo or slow De La Cruz – and the Mets were rained out at home against Washington. New York is 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta heading into Tuesday’s doubleheader versus the last-place Nationals, while the Braves will play the second of three games at fourth-place Miami.