ST. LOUIS – Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina may have played their last regular season home game at Busch Stadium, but the City of St. Louis isn’t done honoring them yet. 

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones proclaimed Oct. 4, 2022 will be Yadier Molina Day, honoring the catcher that wore the number four on his jersey. The following day will be Albert Pujols Day, when the City honors the player that wore number five on Oct. 5, 2022. 

Jones presented both players with a proclamation before Sunday’s game against the Pirates. 

Pujols and Molina, who are retiring at the end of the season, were honored during a 46-minute ceremony. They were given gifts from the team, including a set of golf clubs, a silver plate and one-of-a-kind artist drawings of each player.

Pujols called it “pretty awesome” and “a great day.”

“I’m really blessed to be back here,” said Pujols, who has 468 homers with the Cardinals. “To finish my career where everything started, it means a lot.”

The 42-year-old Pujols had his 23rd home run of the season in the third inning, a 409-foot drive off Roansy Contreras that tied the game at 4. Pujols now has 702 home runs,fourth on the all-time home run list behind Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762).

Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright started their 328th game together. Wainwright (11-12) allowed six runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Molina, Pujols and Wainwright were all removed from the game together so they could walk off as a trio with two outs in the fifth. Wainwright has yet to decide if he will come back next season.

“Great emotional day for me,” Molina said. “Just to walk with Albert, Waino, it was a great moment for baseball.”

Marmol planned it: “We wanted all three of them to walk off together. Not a bad way to go out.”

Times for the National League Divisional Series have not been released yet but the first game is Friday at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals announced today that potential tickets for the National League Championship Series will go on sale Thursday. You can learn more about the tickets here.