ST. LOUIS, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Albert Pujols hit his 42nd homer and reached the 200-hit plateau with a fifth-inning double Tuesday as St. Louis edged Milwaukee, 6-5.
Pujols' double made him the first Cardinal to reach 200 hits since Willie McGee led the league with 216 in 1985. Pujols is only the second player in franchise history to record 40 homers and 200 hits in the same season. Rogers Hornsby did it in 1922 when he hit 42 homers and had a club-record 250 hits.
Pujols finished with three hits and two runs scored. Edgar Renteria drove in two runs for St. Louis, which remained five games behind first-place Houston in the NL Central Division.
St. Louis starter Sterling Hitchcock (3-1) gave up four runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Milwaukee rookie Luis Martinez (0-2) gave up six runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
