The farewell continues for one of baseball’s all-time greatest hitters in the St.Louis Cardinals first baseman and designated hitter, Albert Pujols hitting his 607th career home run, moving past former New York Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the all-time list. It came during the ninth inning that helped rally the Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 4-3 win Sunday.
Pujols is not wasting his last season on an abysmal team but is playing at a high level for an 83-58 Cardinals team that sits atop the NL Central division, good for fourth in the National League. Pujols now trails baseball legends Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), and Babe Ruth (714) on the all-time homer chart. The two-time World Series champion has 21 games left in his 22nd and final season in the major league as he looks to join the 700 home run club.
The Cardinals were trailing 2-0 heading into the ninth inning, with Pujols teammates Tommy Edman and Corey Dickerson leading off with consecutive doubles to produce the first run. Pujols would then come into slammer a homer like he has done numerous times throughout his historical career, helping get the Cardinals back on top to give them that 4-2 lead.
Greg Allen of the Pirates would then hit a homer to make it a 4-3 ball game, but it wouldn’t be enough to seal the win. The Cardinals overcame a 2-0 deficit heading into the ninth inning after getting shut out on all but three hits throughout the first eight innings.
With the postseason nearing how far do you believe the Cardinals can go in the playoffs? It will be a tough road as they would have to overcome some powerhouse teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, who own the best record in baseball, the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and divisional rivals in the Milwaukee Brewers, just to name a few.
Whether Pujols Cardinals can help him ride off into the sunset as a champion remains to be seen, but one thing we will know regardless of the outcome of this postseason is that he is one of the greatest players and hitters that this game has ever seen.
Will Albert Pujols join the 700 career home run list of Bonds, Aaron, and Ruth?
Yes without a doubt
Not enough time for him
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