Pujols hits No. 693 as Cardinals blank Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — Albert Pujols hit career homer No. 693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory.

Pujols led off the seventh with a drive to left-center for his seventh homer in his last 10 games and No. 14 overall in his final big league season. There was a noticeable round of cheers from the Wrigley Field crowd of 29,719 as the three-time NL MVP rounded the bases on his second hit of the night.

Drew Smyly became the 449th pitcher to surrender a homer to the 42-year-old Pujols, who matched Barry Bonds for the major league record. It was Pujols' 940th multihit game, snapping a tie with Paul Waner for 10th on the career list.

That one run was all Montgomery (7-3) needed. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none in his first career complete game, improving to 4-0 in four starts since he was acquired in an Aug. 2 trade with the New York Yankees.

Rookie Christopher Morel doubled with two out in the third for Chicago's only hit. Morel hustled into third when shortstop Paul DeJong mishandled the relay from left fielder Tyler O'Neill. But Montgomery retired Nick Madrigal on a grounder to DeJong, ending the inning.

Montgomery threw 99 pitches for the NL Central leaders in the opener of a five-game series, 65 for strikes.

Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Smyly (5-7) in its second straight loss after a five-game win streak. The lefty allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two in seven innings.

WORTH NOTING

Yadier Molina went 0 for 3 for St. Louis after missing the previous two games so he could be with his basketball team in Puerto Rico for the end of its championship run. The 40-year-old Molina owns the