Cardinals’ Albert Pujols becomes fourth player in MLB history to hit 700 home runs | CBC sport

Albert Pujols seemed a long way from hitting 700 home runs in early August, still more than a dozen swings from the sacred mark and his power shot all but gone.

Or so it seemed.

The 42-year-old hitter, now showing the pop of his youth in the final weeks of his career, got there with two long shots.

Pujols hit his 700th home run, connected for his second drive of the game and became the fourth player in major league history to make it to the milestone when the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the hometown Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night with 11: 0 defeated.

Pujols joined Barry Bonds (762 homers), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) in one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs.

“Don’t get me wrong, I know where my places are in this game, but since Day 1, when I made my debut, I’ve never been about numbers, never been chasing numbers,” said Pujols. “It was always about winning championships and getting better at those games.”

A man wearing a blue Dodgers shirt with Hideo Nomo’s #16 on the back grabbed the 700th homer ball. He was thrown under the stands as he clutched a black glove containing the historic souvenir ball to his chest. Long negotiations ensued before the man was escorted out of Dodger Stadium into a waiting SUV, accompanied by 10 security guards.

This is like Mount Rushmore the slugger, so hitting that 700 home run mark is remarkable.— Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols

“Souvenirs are for the fans,” said Pujols. “I have no problem if they want to keep it. That’s why the fans come here to experience a special moment in history.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts liked to rave about Pujols’ performance.

“This is like Mount Rushmore of the bat, so hitting that 700 home run mark is remarkable,” Roberts said.

A 37-year-old Los Angeles man Cesar Soriano grabbed No. 699. He handed the ball over to safety after being told he could hit Pujols.

It was a remarkable and resurgent run for Pujols. This was his 14th home game since early August for the Cardinals, who lead the National League Central, and his 21st this season.

Roberts marveled in July at the improbability of Pujols making history at the end of September.

“I wouldn’t doubt him, but the stars have to align somehow for it to go like this,” Roberts said. “I don’t think Albert even thought that was a possibility.”

Now nobody has to wonder if Pujols would have come back for a few extra swings next year if he’d finished this season at 699 or so.

Pujols has particularly enjoyed making his name at Dodger Stadium, where he said he regained his enjoyment of the game when he was with the Dodgers last season.

“It’s very special, especially for the Dodgers fans, to do it here,” Pujols said. “And you can see both sides, they can enjoy that and to do it in a Cardinals uniform is really special.”

Pujols’ historic homer was a three-run shot against Dodgers relief Phil Bickford. The ball landed in left field in the first few rows of the pavilion, the same spot where his two-barrel shot touched left-hander Andrew Heaney’s previous inning.

“At first I was upset … and then when the crowd reacted and saw all the smiles, it was a very special moment for MLB,” Bickford said. “Albert Pujols is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”

He jogged around the bases and smiled the whole way. After crossing the plate and pointing his fingers to the sky, Pujols walked over to greet fellow countryman and former Dodgers star Adrian Beltre. They clapped through the safety net.

He then walked to the Cardinals’ dugout, getting hugs and congratulations at every turn.

Pujols received a long standing ovation from the crowd, took up a curtain and lifted his cap in confirmation.

The crowd of 50,041 chanted “Pujols! Pujols!” They finally sat on their feet, expecting to see history.

Pujols’ 700th homer also gave him some other nice round numbers – he’s hit 500 homers from righties and 200 from lefties.

His performance was celebrated beyond Chavez Ravine.

At Chase Field in Phoenix, the San Francisco Giants met on the mound when the 700th homer was shown on the video board, prompting veteran third baseman Evan Longoria to applaud along with the Diamondbacks crowd.

At Target Field in Minneapolis, Shohei Ohtani brought the Los Angeles Angels to a win and then said through an interpreter, “I’m really glad he got to 700. … It was an honor to be a teammate of his. He’s raking this year, so it feels like he’s got a lot more in the tank.”

Hall of Famer pitcher Pedro Martinez tweeted about his Dominican Republic colleague, “You’re the man!!”

Pujols connected twice on the same night that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge stayed on deck for the home run story. He stayed on 60 home runs, close to tying Roger Maris’ American League mark of 61 in 1961 in a win at Yankee Stadium.

Pujols’ two bops gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead, all runs coming thanks to his big stick.

Stroke found in August

Pujols swung at Heaney in his first at-bat and came up short in the sixth. He was replaced in the eighth by pinch-hitter Alec Burleson, who homed.

He snapped a tie with Alex Rodriguez in fourth place on the career list when he hit the career No. 697 homer against Pittsburgh on Sept. 11.

Pujols batted .189 on July 4 and began finding his shot in August, hitting seven homers in a 10-game streak that helped St. Louis lead in the division race.

Pujols has had a productive season after returning to St. Louis in March on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. It’s his highest total since hitting 23 homers for the Angels in 2019.

Pujols began his career in St. Louis. He was selected by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 amateur draft and won the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year award.

He’s hit at least .300 with at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in each of his first 10 seasons. He helped the Cardinals to World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.

Pujols hit a career high in 2006 with 49 homers — one of seven seasons with at least 40 homers. He led the majors with 47 home runs in 2009 and led the NL with 42 in 2010.

Pujols left St. Louis in free agency in December 2011 and signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels. He was waived by the team in May 2021 and then joined the Dodgers, hitting 12 home runs and driving 38 carries in 85 games.