Yadier Molina's three-run home run was all the scoring Jake Westbrook and the new faces in the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen needed to beat the Cincinnati Reds Sunday night, interrupting a scoreless pitchers' duel on the way to a 3-0 Cardinals win. Jake Westbrook pitched six scoreless innings on short rest to win his second game of the season, and Mitchell Boggs picked up his third save, striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning. Edinson Volquez struck out seven for the Reds in the loss; Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto each doubled.
The Cardinals received a scare when Albert Pujols came up limping down the basepaths late in the game, but the Cardinals said after the game that he was lifted from the rain-soaked but undelayed game for "precautionary reasons." He was 1-4 with a single before leaving, and was replaced at first base by Lance Berkman, who played his first inning of the season there.
Earlier in the game, Molina, one of the major pieces of last years Cardinals-Reds brawl, threw out Jonny Gomes at second base.