Pujols hits 30th homer to set mark
Tony Batista hit a grand slam in the 12th inning after tying it with a two-run shot in the ninth, leading the Montreal Expos over the St. Louis Cardinals 10-6 Tuesday night at St. Louis.
Albert Pujols became the first player to hit at least 30 home runs in his each of his first four seasons on a major league roster when he hit a two-run homer to straightaway center off Montreal spot starter Sun-Woo Kim with one out in the first inning.
New York Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio hit 29 home runs in his rookie season, then hit at least 30 in his next five. Mark McGwire played only 18 games in 1986 for Oakland, then hit more than 30 homers in his first four full seasons.
Pujols, who hit a career-high 43 home runs last season, is also the first player in Cardinals history to hit at least 30 home runs in four straight seasons.
Devil Rays owner yells at police officer
A police video captured Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli waving his arms and yelling at an officer after Naimoli’s wife was stopped for running a red light near Tropicana Field.
A police report said Naimoli’s wife, Lenda, was following her husband’s car in a silver Mercedes after the Devil Rays’ game Saturday night. Naimoli drove his white Mercedes through a yellow light, but his wife didn’t make it before the light turned red, the report said.
St. Petersburg Officer Scott Newell pulled over Lenda Naimoli’s car; her husband pulled over and approached the officer.
“Do you know who I am?” Newell said Naimoli yelled at him. “I’m Vincent Joseph Naimoli, owner of the Devil Rays. That’s my wife! She was following me!”
The 66-year-old Naimoli also threatened to call the police chief and other city officials. Newell said he had to order Naimoli to return to his car three times before he complied.
“He was red-faced and yelling,” Newell wrote in the report. A video camera mounted in Newell’s cruiser recorded the incident without audio.
Newell issued Lenda Naimoli, 60, a $114.50 ticket for running a red light.
Reds activate Griffey
The Cincinnati Reds activated Ken Griffey Jr. from the 15-day disabled list before Tuesday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
Griffey had been sidelined since tearing his right hamstring while chasing a flyball on July 10. The injury forced him to miss the All-Star game last month.
Despite being activated, Griffey was not in the Reds’ lineup for their series opener against San Francisco. He was expected to play today.
Gonzalez has elbow surgery
Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Luis Gonzalez, bothered by a sore throwing arm all season, had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow Monday.
A tendon was transplanted to the area of the torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. The Diamondbacks said Gonzalez should be able to start physical therapy in 3-4 weeks.
Angels place Molina on DL
Anaheim Angels catcher Bengie Molina was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a broken finger. Molina, batting .289 with eight homers and 41 RBIs in 228 at-bats, broke the tip of his right index finger in Saturday’s game against Seattle
Giants recall Lowry
Left-hander Noah Lowry was recalled from Triple-A Fresno to start for San Francisco against Cincinnati in place of Dustin Hermanson, who was moved to the bullpen and could become the Giants’ closer. “It gives us a guy with a fresh arm down there,” manager Felipe Alou said. “Tonight, if we have a lead, Hermanson will close.”
Hermanson did not close as Lowry completed the game for a three-hit win. Lowry had a no-hitter after six, but D’Angelo Jimenez ended Lowry’s no-hitter with a single in the seventh.