Pujols leads Dodgers with career homerun 673 and outperforms Mel Ott
Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer and outplayed Mel Ott for 14th on the runs scored list, and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended the Arizona Diamondbacks’ losing streak to 17 games with a 9-8 win.
Arizona trailed 9-2 before closing with six runs in the eighth, when Josh Reddick, Christian Walker, and Ketel Marte had run-scoring hits before Josh Rojas finished the inning with a groundout off Victor Gonzalez that left runners stranded on the corners.
Pujols’ 673 home run put Los Angeles ahead 4-0 against Alex Young (2-5) and raised his total to 1,860 runs, one more than Ott in 1926-47 for the New York Giants.
Next up is Tris Speaker with 1,882. Pujols, 41, has 11 home runs this season and is behind only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), and Alex Rodriguez (696) on the all-time list. Garrett Cleavinger (2-3) got four outs in relief from Tony Gonsolin, who allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his third start after a season on the disabled list caused by right shoulder inflammation.
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances. The Kansas City Royals approach Arizona to the longest losing streak of the wild-card era, in July and August 2005.
The Diamondbacks are 20-53 worst in the majors heading into a three-game home series against Milwaukee. They then go to San Diego, trying to stop a major league-record losing streak that has stretched to 23 games.
Arizona is on the longest losing streak in team history, eclipsing a 15-game streak this season, and has lost 30 of 32 overall and 40 of 45.
Los Angeles played in front of a crowd of 31,661 that featured many rowdy Dodgers fans. Los Angeles has won six in a row and 10 of 12. A.J. Pollock had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and three RBIs.