Albert Pujols blasts home run No. 697, passes Alex Rodriguez on all-time list
Pujols is three home runs away from reaching the elite 700 club
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols hit his 697th career home run, overtaking Alex Rodriguez for the fourth-most all-time in that category on Sunday.
Pujols just tied Rodriguez on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and wasted no time in his fourth at-bat of the game on Sunday to push him down to fifth overall.
Pujols is now three homers away from reaching the elite 700 club, which only features Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).
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Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 11, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Chase De Jong tried to get a high fastball past Pujols after getting down in the count, 2-0. Pujols was ready for it and connected to hit it to the deepest part of PNC Park in center field.
Everyone knew history was made with that swing, as Pujols was all smiles rounding the bases before being swarmed by his teammates in the Cardinals’ dugout.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ALBERT PUJOLS TIES ALEX RODRIGUEZ FOR FOURTH PLACE ON ALL-TIME HOME RUNS LIST IN CASE FOR 700
Pujols entered the year with 679 homers, but with his play in recent years (.700 OPS from 2017 to 2021), 700 homers seemed like an outside chance.
Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a two-run home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 11, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Pujols is on pace to reach over 700 homers for his career, as he is retiring at the end of this season. He’s now hit 14 home runs since July 10, which truly gives him a real shot at breaking that magic number.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CARDINALS DUO ADAM WAINWRIGHT AND YADIER MOLINA TIE THE MLB RECORD FOR STARTS TOGETHER
Since Aug. 1, Pujols is hitting .329/.391/.744 with 10 homer and 22 RBI entering today’s contest.
Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 11, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That two-run bomb from Pujols, which gave the Cardinals the lead, was part of a four-run top of the ninth inning that led to a Cardinals 4-3 win.