SAINT LOUIS – Albert Pujols continues to hit big home runs – both for himself on his way to 700 homers, and to help the team, which is in the hunt to secure a top seed in the National League. On Friday, the Dominican hit his lifetime number 698.
With the Cardinals trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, Pujols hit a slider off his countryman Raynel Espinal and sent it a projected 427 feet from home plate. The shot, which came off his bat at 106.3 mph, put Pujols within two career homers of 700.
The only players in NL/AL history to reach 700 career homers are Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth – and Pujols is doing his best to join them, before hanging up the hooks at the end of this season. .
After Friday’s matchup, the Cardinals have 17 games left for the year.
Five of Pujols’ last six homers have been to tie the game or put the Cardinals ahead. His huge shot off Espinal extended his NL/AL record of homering off 452 different pitchers.
In his career, the Dominican has hit 49 homers once morest the Reds. That amount is exceeded only by those he has butted once morest the Astros (62), Cubs (59) and Pirates (54).
