Pujols’ Bat Saves The Game—Again
Major League Baseball’s Albert Pujols leads the league in home runs but sometimes holds out until late in the game—really late in the game—to save the day.
By Mark Hoerrner
When Albert Pujols is at bat, there’s a pretty good chance that he’s going to smack the leather off the ball. Major League Baseball’s season has only just begun and already Pujols has 30 home runs on the books after last night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Call it better late than never, right-hander Pujols slammed a homer in the 14th inning against what is arguably one of the best pitching line-ups in the league at the moment to take the game 3-2 over the Dodgers. The earlier runs had been set up by Pujols’ St. Louis Cardinals teammate Jim Edmonds, who vaporized a ball in the seventh inning. Edmonds then followed up with an off-the-wall catch in the 12th to prevent Los Angeles from scoring.
Edmonds has 221 career home runs, tying a record for fourth in career homers last set by Cardinals legend Mark McGwire.
The 30th home run for Pujols represents a repeat from a previous game in the last three when he closed down a game against the Houston Astros with a 10th inning victory. Pujols is a fairly young player, having only been in the league since 2001, but he’s already secured seven career game-winning homers.
It’s the fifth time Pujols has hit a game-winning homer in extra innings, putting him in the same class as only three other current players who have done the same: Barry Bonds, Jim Thome and Tim Salmon. For the Cardinals, the last time they won three straight extra-inning games was in June 1988.
"You give Albert enough chances in any situations he's going to come through," reliever Adam Wainwright told ESPN after the game. "He's proven that time and time again this year. It's almost surprising that he didn't do it before he did, he's that good of a player."
The 26-year-old from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic sports a current batting average of .314 with 77 RBIs under his belt in addition to his 30 home runs. He’s a consistent hitter who is stepping up to prove his estimated $14 million 2006 total salary. Pujols was the 2001 Rookie of the Year winner and was the 2005 National League MVP.
The St. Louis Cardinals will go on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers again tonight and continue with five additional games through July 23. The first three of the series will be hosted by St. Louis and the remainder will be fought out in Los Angeles.
When Albert Pujols is at bat, there’s a pretty good chance that he’s going to smack the leather off the ball. Major League Baseball’s season has only just begun and already Pujols has 30 home runs on the books after last night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Call it better late than never, right-hander Pujols slammed a homer in the 14th inning against what is arguably one of the best pitching line-ups in the league at the moment to take the game 3-2 over the Dodgers. The earlier runs had been set up by Pujols’ St. Louis Cardinals teammate Jim Edmonds, who vaporized a ball in the seventh inning. Edmonds then followed up with an off-the-wall catch in the 12th to prevent Los Angeles from scoring.
Edmonds has 221 career home runs, tying a record for fourth in career homers last set by Cardinals legend Mark McGwire.
The 30th home run for Pujols represents a repeat from a previous game in the last three when he closed down a game against the Houston Astros with a 10th inning victory. Pujols is a fairly young player, having only been in the league since 2001, but he’s already secured seven career game-winning homers.
It’s the fifth time Pujols has hit a game-winning homer in extra innings, putting him in the same class as only three other current players who have done the same: Barry Bonds, Jim Thome and Tim Salmon. For the Cardinals, the last time they won three straight extra-inning games was in June 1988.
"You give Albert enough chances in any situations he's going to come through," reliever Adam Wainwright told ESPN after the game. "He's proven that time and time again this year. It's almost surprising that he didn't do it before he did, he's that good of a player."
The 26-year-old from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic sports a current batting average of .314 with 77 RBIs under his belt in addition to his 30 home runs. He’s a consistent hitter who is stepping up to prove his estimated $14 million 2006 total salary. Pujols was the 2001 Rookie of the Year winner and was the 2005 National League MVP.
The St. Louis Cardinals will go on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers again tonight and continue with five additional games through July 23. The first three of the series will be hosted by St. Louis and the remainder will be fought out in Los Angeles.
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- The State of Major League Baseball
- Baseball: License to Deal
- A Radical Idea for Major League Baseball
- World Baseball Championships would rival World Series
- September may bring baseball's best
- Still open for business
- Supply and demand at the trading deadline
- The future is well on its way
- Baseball's shortstops continue to come up big
- Operating on all cylinders
- The AL in brief
- Baseball's steroid fallout
- General: Sterno's Talkin Smack! -- Episode #106
- Fans push Spider-Man off-base
- American Sports: 'the Golden Goose of Baseball is Not About to Die of Steroid Abuse'
- Cheaters have always prospered
- A-Rod, Yankees, Red Sox, and more.
- Video Games: Baseball video game falls shorts on realism
- "Hot" hot stove helps Major League Baseball
- Autumn Glory: Baseball’s First World Series