Albert Pujols hits home run No.700

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) – The drama was over quickly for Albert Pujols. Pujols cracked career home runs No. 699 and No. 700 to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 11-0 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 23.

Pujols becomes just the fourth player to reach 700 home runs. Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth are the only other players to hit 700 home runs. Judging by what happened at his first at-bat, it appeared there would be no magic for Pujols towards his monumental achievement.

Mr. 700, #AlbertPujols! pic.twitter.com/ccQ4DQcXV0

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 24, 2022

The first time Pujols stepped up to the plate in a Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, the veteran slugger whiffed-going down on strikes in the first inning.

Sitting at 698 career home runs going into the first contest of a three-game series, Pujols, who is set to retire at the end of the 2022 MLB season, made sure he did not strike out at his next at-bat. With a runner on base in the third inning, Pujols blasted an Andrew Heaney pitch deep into the stands. With one swing of the bat, Pujols was just one mighty swing away from joining the exclusive 700 club.

On home run No. 699, the intensity of the moment was high as fans in attendance stood to watch history. When he connected, you could hear the crack of Pujols’ black bat and the sound of the Dodger Stadium crowd roaring as the St. Louis slugger stood at the plate as the ball traveled deep into the night.

The moment was electric and nearly took away the fat that there was still a baseball still to be played. with that, St. Louis held just a 2-0 lead at the point in the game. But somehow, some way, the Cardinals batted around the order and had positioned Pujols for another at-bat one inning later.

What’s left to say, other than listen and take it in! pic.twitter.com/47pv6rl0tp

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 24, 2022

If the moment after hitting career home run No. 699 was electric, the fourth inning drama was insane when Pujols stepped up to the plate to face off against reliever Phil Bickford. As he checked in at the plate and being cautious getting into his batting stance, Pujols looked determined that hitting No. 700 was going to be done quickly.

And so, with teammates Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan on base, the moment almost became too surreal. Just as Pujols walked up to the plate, Dodgers manager went to the mound and removed Heaney from the game to bring in the hard-throwing Bickford. This is encounter would not last too long before Pujols wound up sending a pitch Bickford threw across the plate into the dark Dodger blue sky.

The usually stoic Pujols let out a celebratory trot around the bases as fans cheered as they witnessed this moment in MLB history. Dodger Stadium was rocking with fans standing on their feet trying to capture the moment with their cellphones. Not only were the fans watching history, Pujols was one their own. Pujols played for the Dodgers in 2021 before re-joining the Cardinals, a team he stated and largely built storied his MLB career with.

Featured Image: St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols watches home run No. 700 leave the field of play and into the stands at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 23, 2022. Pujols hit career home run off of Phil Bickford in the Cardinals’ 11-0 win.