Pujols reaches milestone

~ St. Louis' first baseman became the first player to drive in 100 runs and hit 30 home runs in his first seven seasons.

MILWAUKEE -- Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit a solo home run in the first inning of St. Louis' game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night, giving him 100 RBIs for the seventh straight season.

Pujols, who now has 32 homers, is the first player in history to hit at least 30 homers and drive in 100 runs in his first seven seasons.

Pujols had missed five straight starts after being hobbled by a strained left calf muscle, but was put back at first base at the start of the series with Milwaukee on Monday.

Pujols was hit on the elbow by Brewers reliever Seth McClung with one out in the eighth inning Wednesday night, apparent retaliation for tensions rising over the course of the series.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa thought that Jeff Suppan threw high and tight at Pujols the night before and La Russa and Brewers manager Ned Yost yelled at each other from their dugouts after the incident.

Brewers slugger Prince Fielder was hit on the shoulder in the second inning of Wednesday night's game by Cardinals starter Brad Thompson. Plate umpire Tom Hallion warned both benches after Fielder was hit, and he ejected McClung and Yost after Pujols was plunked.

Ted Williams was the last player to hit at least 100 RBIs in each of his first seven seasons, doing so from 1939 to 1949, not counting his war service years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Al Simmons started his career with 11 straight seasons of 100 RBIs or more for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago White Sox from 1924 to 1934.

Pujols raised his batting average to .325, and has hit at least .314 in each of his seasons in the majors.