Albert Pujols continues to defy father time, hits a go-ahead 2-run homerun to claim sole possession for 4th most homeruns in MLB history
There is elation all throughout the St. Louis Cardinals dugout. Hugs and high-fives from teammates, and even Pittsburgh Pirates fans, who just received the 697th souvernier of Albert Pujols' career. Albert Pujols once again went yard, this time in a dire situation that saw his team, the St. Louis Cardinals, trailing 1-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 9th inning. With one enormous swing, Pujols came through, giving the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in a game they'd end up winning 4-to-3. Albert also reached another massive milestone, in which he surpassed Alex Rodriguez on the all-time Major League Baseball homeruns list, standing alone at 4th with 697.
Pujols' storied career is shaping up to have an incredibly unforeseen, yet spectacular final chapter. At the All-Star break, Albert had only mustered 6 homeruns in 173 plate appearances this season, posting a slashline of .215/.301./.376 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage). He could have accepted that he was phasing out, and his days of being a key contributor and offensive juggernaut were in the rearview mirror. After all, his legacy had already been cemented with everything he's accomplished prior in his career. Despite everything, Pujols still had other intentions in mind. Since the All-Star break, he has been on a nuclear tear, hitting .340/.395/.748. He has launched twelve homeruns since the break, the fourth most in the National League in that span, and the sixth most overall in the MLB. It has been nothing short of remarkable, and he has seemingly set the 700 homerun mark in his sights, something that was thought of as improbable just two months ago. With roughly three weeks remaining and 21 games to go, the feat is feasible and it would be one final notch on the already bejeweled belt of Albert Pujols.
We hear and see stories of father time catching up to athletes constantly, as it is bound to happen to everybody. What you hardly ever witness, however, is somebody telling father time to sit down, take a seat, and enjoy the show. He might even catch his next homerun. Nobody knows how Albert Pujols' swansong will ultimately finish, but it has been age-defying, breathtaking, astounding, and entertaining theatre that will leave many talking about it for years to come.