ST. LOUIS, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Albert Pujols' three hits and four RBI Thursday led the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-3 rout of Arizona, allowing the LA Dodgers to clinch the NL West title.
Pujols' three-run homer was the big hit when St. Louis broke the contest open by scoring five times in the bottom of the seventh inning. He also had a fourth-inning sacrifice fly.
Ryan Ludwick had two hits and two RBI. His solo homer followed Pujols' seventh-inning blast.
Jason Larue and Felipe Lopez knocked in two runs each. Cesar Izturis had three hits and one RBI and, like Izturis, Lopez had three hits for the Cardinals -- whose win was just the fifth in their last 15 games.
The winning pitcher was starter Joel Pineiro (7-7).
Arizona got two RBI from Mark Reynolds and one from Adam Dunn. Four players had one hit in the Diamondbacks' third straight loss.
The losing pitcher was reliever Leo Rosales (1-1).
