Albert Pujols

2022 - 8 - 18

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Pinch-hit grand slam! Pujols' 690th was a career first (MLB.com)

ST. LOUIS -- To put into perspective the tear Albert Pujols has been on of late while nearing the end of his 22nd and final MLB season, the Cardinals' ...

That was fun to watch,’” said Donovan, who had three hits on Wednesday and two more on Thursday before getting pulled in favor of Pujols in the third inning. [Adam Wainwright](https://www.mlb.com/player/adam-wainwright-425794) to a footnote even though the 40-year-old pitcher threw seven scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. Dumbfounded that Pujols would feel the need to apologize for pinch-hitting for him, Donovan offered up a response that made both break out in laughter. With the clout, which was the 690th home run of his career, Pujols now has 16 career grand slams, tying him for 10th all-time with Ruth, Aaron and Dave Kingman. “I’m just glad I was able to come through and help the guys win. One of Pujols’ teammates, Lars Nootbaar -- someone who grew up idolizing the slugger throughout his childhood -- lent some insight into what the updated all-time baseball record books look like with the Cardinals legend continuing to climb the charts.

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Albert Pujols' pinch-hit grand slam backs fellow 40-something Adam ... (ESPN)

The Cardinals are the first team in MLB history to have a player at least 40 years old hit a grand slam (Albert Pujols) and another at least 40 to pitch ...

"My job today it was just to not mess it up," he said. "The game's never over, but you can put the game away there with a good swing and it's always good to get the crowd engaged. [Albert Pujols](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/4574/albert-pujols) launched a pinch-hit grand slam and drove in five runs, [Adam Wainwright](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/5403/adam-wainwright) pitched seven sharp innings and the [St. "We're playing right now, I think the way that we were expecting ourselves to play early in the year," Pujols said. It was Pujols' 16th career grand slam -- his first as a pinch hitter -- and it moved him into a tie with Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Dave Kingman for 10th-most slams of all time. The NL Central-leading Cardinals won their fourth in a row and sent Colorado to its fifth straight loss.

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Cardinals' Albert Pujols crushes grand slam vs. Rockies for career ... (CBS sports.com)

Pujols, 42, has been enjoying a strong run at the plate in the second half.

[Milwaukee Brewers](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/MIL/milwaukee-brewers/) in the National League Central. Still, Pujols does have a chance to tie or exceed Alex Rodriguez's 696 home runs for the fourth-most all-time. [according to MLB's Paul Casella](https://twitter.com/Paul_CasellaMLB/status/1560333490104766472). He's played particularly well as of late, hitting .395/.452/.790 with four home runs in 14 second-half games. According to Statcast, Pujols' home run had an exit velocity of 105.1 mph and traveled some 374 feet. Louis up by a 10-0 mark.

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Cardinals: Albert Pujols doubles down on retirement plan after 2022 (Redbird Rants)

St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols just doubled down on his retirement plan after 2022, meaning his Hall of Fame career is almost over.

In 215 at-bats, Pujols is hitting .251/.330/.460 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI while posting a 0.5 WAR and .790 OPS. In his career, Pujols, 42, has hit .296/.374/.542 with 689 home runs, 2180 RBI and a .917 OPS. For Pujols, it will mark the end of a career that will surely end as a first ballot Hall of Famer – and one where he will be donning a Cardinals cap in Cooperstown for eternity. That has felt like a given since Pujols returned to St. Pujols figures to continue to be a sounding board for each player going forward, but this will be his last season in a major-league clubhouse. He’s won three MVP awards, Rookie of the Year, made 11 All-Star teams, won two World Series, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Slugger awards, a batting title and National League Championship Series MVP.

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Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright help Cardinals make MLB history in ... (Yardbarker)

Pujols finished the day 2-for-3 with five RBI, capped off by a pinch-hit grand slam in the third inning. The homer was the 690th home run of Pujols' career, ...

Then, the fan dropped the hot dog in a cup of beer and used the hollowed-out hot dog as a straw. German Peter Gojowczyk, Dutch lucky loser Tallon Griekspoor and American Steve Johnson were among those to win in straight sets on Monday in the round of 64 of the Winston-Salem Open in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Twins seized the momentum from Monday's triple play in the fourth inning, when Gio Urshela led off with a triple against Cole Ragans and scored on Nick Gordon's double. Corey Seager delivered a tiebreaking RBI single two innings after he was involved in a triple play for the Texas Rangers, who edged the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Monday night in Minneapolis. Logue has lost his past three games -- 7-2 to the Detroit Tigers, 8-0 to the Houston Astros and 10-3 to the Rangers -- a stretch in which he has an 8.62 ERA. Fried is coming off a win on Thursday against the New York Mets, when he gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks. The lefty was bombed for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings in a road loss to the Texas Rangers on Thursday in his most recent outing. At a time when African-American participation in the game is at a post-integration all-time low, further exposure of the heritage of the game is greatly needed. Drake was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft and spent the first four years of his career in Miami followed by two with the Arizona Cardinals. The MLB has done a great job of telling the post-mortem story of African-American inclusion in its ranks, but it is time to raise that relevancy by telling more of the backstory in greater depth. The idea that this league was not a pride point and that there was only longing for recognition in the MLB is inaccurate and a point that is increasingly lost in history. Pujols finished the day 2-for-3 with five RBI, capped off by a pinch-hit grand slam in the third inning.

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Albert Pujols pinch-hit a stunning grand slam for his 690th career ... (For The Win)

Albert Pujols pinch-hit a stunning grand slam for his 690th career home run, and MLB fans were amazed · Share this article · MLB fans were in awe over Pujols' ...

(Note: The Cardinals went on to win 13-0.) Louis already leading 6-0, Pujols came on to pinch-hit and see what magic could create with his bat. But as he starts to round home on his pending retirement, the St.

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Quick hits: Cardinals' Pujols slams, Wainwright buffaloes Colorado (STLtoday.com)

Cardinals sweep series as Pujols drives in five runs, Wainwright allows just three hits in seven innings.

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Albert Pujols' 'apologetic' exchange after grand slam proves he's a ... (ClutchPoints)

Looking almost apologetic, Cardinals legend Albert Pujols reassured the rookie Brendan Donovan that the team still had faith in him.

It’s safe to say he’s going to be a part of the team for years to come. The first baseman first built his career with this team in his first few years in the league. [grand slam](https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-albert-pujols-joins-babe-ruth-hank-aaron-with-unreal-home-run-feat/) from Albert Pujols in the third.

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Cardinals' Albert Pujols joins Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron with feat (ClutchPoints)

Even as St. Louis Cardinals DH Albert Pujols has nothing left to prove in the majors, he is continuing to bolster his Baseball HOF resume.

And while he may end up falling short of amounting to 700 home runs, he is at the least inching closer to Rodriguez on the all-time home runs list. This home run is the 690th of Pujols’ career, which has him at a mere six homers away from moving into a tie with Alex Rodriguez for the fourth most in MLB history. With two outs and the bases loaded, Pujols essentially put the game away with a grand slam that brought those in attendance at Busch Stadium up to their feet.

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Albert Pujols goes viral over his great gesture for rookie teammate (Larry Brown Sports)

May 27, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols (5) walks on the field before the game against the Oakland Athletics at ...

As for Pujols, he remains a well-liked veteran teammate despite his general decline in ability over the years. Donovan said the three-time MVP Pujols approached him, almost apologetically, and assured Donovan that the Cardinals still had faith in him. Pujols came in during the third inning (with the bases loaded and lefty Austin Gomber on the mound) as a pinch hitter for rookie teammate Brendan Donovan.

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Wainwright masterpiece is overshadowed by Pujols as Cardinals ... (STLtoday.com)

Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright works the first inning against the Rockies on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, at Busch Stadium. Robert Cohen, Post-Dispatch.

“I think everything’s coming together,” said Marmol. “I’m pitching pretty good this year, which is fine, but it’s not the story.” “Any time he goes to the plate, I expect that something good is going to happen. And it’s always good to get the crowd engaged.” And usually something good does happen.” It was Pujols’ third grand slam hit behind Wainwright, both of the previous ones coming in 2009. Ordinarily, such a move isn’t made in the third inning with a team so far ahead, but Marmol said Pujols had been “killing lefties (.363 average, better than 1.000 OPS). “This is what he’s supposed to look like here at this stadium, doing these things.” Gomber had set himself up for this by walking three hitters previously in the inning. And he was yesterday’s news, in relation to Pujols’ dramatic pinch-hit grand slam that topped off a 13-0 rout of the reeling Rockies. Oh, was that too much?” He retired the final 13 men in succession.

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Albert Pujols pummels pinch-hit grand slam, Cardinals crush Rockies (UPI.com)

Veteran slugger Albert Pujols stepped up to the plate and smacked a pinch-hit grand slam as one of many St. Louis Cardinals offensive highlights in a 13-0 ...

Louis Cardinals](https://www.upi.com/topic/St-Louis-Cardinals/) offensive highlights in a 13-0 thrashing of the [Colorado Rockies](https://www.upi.com/topic/Colorado-Rockies/) in St. Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbar followed with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. Starter Adam Wainwright allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings to earn his ninth win of the season. EDT Friday at Chase Field in Phoenix. [Albert Pujols](https://www.upi.com/topic/Albert_Pujols/) stepped up to the plate and smacked a pinch-hit grand slam as one of many [St. Pujols took relief pitcher Austin Gomber's first offering for a ball.

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Cardinals' Albert Pujols slams his way closer to Yankees' Alex ... (nj.com)

St. Louis Cardinals DH Albert Pujols hit a grand slam in Thursday's 13-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Yankees](https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/08/blue-jays-pull-former-all-star-starter-from-rotation-for-weekend-series-vs-yankees.html) “It’s fun, trust me.” [Cardinals’ Jordan Montgomery sends Yankees another message with 3rd straight win: ‘I know what I’m worth’](https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/08/cardinals-jordan-montgomery-sends-another-message-to-yankees-with-3rd-straight-win-i-know-what-im-worth.html) [Ex-Yankees pitcher suffers setback in rehab start for Red Sox](https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/08/ex-yankees-pitcher-suffers-setback-in-rehab-start-for-red-sox.html) [Hank Aaron](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml), [Babe Ruth](https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/08/angels-shohei-ohtani-matches-yankees-babe-ruths-record-as-2-way-star.html) and [ Dave Kingman](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kingmda01.shtml) for 10th-most slams of all-time. [ STUBHUB](https://fave.co/3NyuxAM), [VIVID SEATS](https://fave.co/3yczVEb), [ TICKETSMARTER](https://fave.co/3R8N0GY), [ TICKETMASTER](https://fave.co/3umMMSZ) [Stan Musial](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/musiast01.shtml) and former [San Francisco Giants](https://www.mlb.com/giants) slugger [Barry Bonds](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml) for third all-time. [See the latest World Series odds](https://www.nj.com/betting/mlb/world-series-odds.html) [fourth place all-time](https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/HR_career.shtml). [13-0 win](https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401355985) over the [Colorado Rockies](https://www.mlb.com/rockies). Louis Cardinals](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals) slugger [Albert Pujols](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml), who will retire after the season, is one step closer to passing former [New York Yankees](https://www.nj.com/yankees/) third baseman [Alex Rodriguez ](https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/07/ex-yankees-slugger-alex-rodriguez-had-big-plans-for-the-mets-including-the-return-of-several-former-stars.html)on the [all-time home run list.](https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/08/cardinals-albert-pujols-approaching-yankees-alex-rodriguez-on-all-time-home-run-list.html)

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Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright lead Cardinals to another emphatic ... (The Athletic)

The Cardinals turned to Pujols at a surprisingly early moment, and he delivered with the first pinch-hit grand slam of his career.

[José Quintana](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/jose-quintana-pc7zmjdmPuuaUoGl/) and [Jordan Montgomery](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/jordan-montgomery-PUR8jVS7n2o30vpg/), who have seamlessly fit in with their new organization. The Cardinals are 12-3 in August, and their .800 winning percentage for the month is second in MLB behind the [Dodgers](https://theathletic.com/mlb/team/dodgers/) (13-1, .813). [Dylan Carlson](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/dylan-carlson-8tlgmBeGg0Tisn9Y/) singled up the middle, scoring [Nolan Gorman](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/nolan-gorman-kwB6rg0iUTdIhSGw/) and moving [Tyler O’Neill](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/tyler-oneill-1ey9BvjfLii1bpWQ/) to third after the duo worked back-to-back walks to open the frame. Pujols has joined [Paul Goldschmidt](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/paul-goldschmidt-cIMcObLXGUH9ajDk/), [Austin Riley](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/austin-riley-lfCS0sNejU4tK4T4/) and [Aaron Judge](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/aaron-judge-SFIT5wwDvRYLsber/) in terms of top OPS against left-handed pitching this season and is hitting .415 overall (17 for 41) since the All-Star break, the highest among all [MLB](https://theathletic.com/mlb/) players with at least 45 plate appearances. The stabilized rotation has served as a catalyst for the offense, which is seeing MVP-worthy seasons from Goldschmidt and [Nolan Arenado](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/nolan-arenado-NwWX30LugDqHE7Oq/) and is finding success from the leadoff spot, a weak area for the club all season, with Nootbaar and Donovan. [Cardinals](https://theathletic.com/mlb/team/cardinals/), already up 6-0, loaded the bases against left-handed reliever [Austin Gomber](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/austin-gomber-SA8LmAYe25TCFvAy/). The Cardinals have repeatedly stated that anything short of winning the division would be a bust, and not winning the Central could result in their missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Plenty of work remains, but for the first time all year, the Cardinals are playing like the division is theirs to lose. [Pujols pledged a turnaround ](https://theathletic.com/3428094/2022/07/17/albert-pujols-mlb-cardinals/)for himself and the team after the All-Star break. They are a season-high 15 games over .500, have a season-best three-game lead over the [Brewers](https://theathletic.com/mlb/team/brewers/) in the National League Central and are, in Pujols’ words, playing their best baseball yet. A couple of batters later, [Lars Nootbaar](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/lars-nootbaar-34FhbNekNaWKnbCL/) walked, setting up the scenario. The designated hitter, left-handed rookie [Brendan Donovan](https://theathletic.com/mlb/player/brendan-donovan-2utCD9xrT6iBJ766/), was due up.

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Cardinals' Albert Pujols gets 690th career home run on pinch-hit ... (Fox News)

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit a pinch-hit grand slam for his 690th career home run as the Cardinals swept the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

[CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP](https://foxnews.onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products) [YANKEES’ JOSH DONALDSON HITS WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM VS RAYS, JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/yankees-josh-donaldson-hits-walk-off-grand-slam-vs-rays-join-exclusive-club) Louis in the offseason for what will be his final season in Major League Baseball. In July, the three-time MVP "We’re playing right now, I think the way that we were expecting ourselves to play early in the year," Pujols said. "My job today it was just to not mess it up," he said.

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Albert Pujols now 10 away from 700 homers: How he can make history (FanSided)

Could Albert Pujols of St. Louis Cardinals reach 700 home runs before retiring at the end of the season? It's certainly a possibility, and here's how.

Of course, he has reduced that average greatly with his performance since the All-Star Game, hitting a home run in every 8.2 at-bats during that span. On Thursday, he smacked a pinch-hit grand slam, his 16th all-time, tying Hank Aaron, Dave Kingman, and Babe Ruth for the 10th-most grand slams in MLB history. Case in point with Colorado on Thursday as right-hander Antonio Senzatela started the game, but Louis Cardinals](https://fansided.com/mlb/mlb-teams/st-louis-cardinals/), slashing .415/.467/.854 with five home runs and 15 RBI in just 41 at-bats since the All-Star break. Now 66-51 on the season, the Cardinals have 45 regular-season games left in 2022. Those home runs are part of the 690 career homers he has produced in his 22-year MLB career, ranking him fifth on MLB’s all-time home run list.

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Cardinals' Adam Wainwright: Albert Pujols 'Incredible' After 16th ... (Bleacher Report)

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright celebrated the "incredible" Albert Pujols after the future Hall of Famer delivered a pinch-hit grand ...

Wainwright, 40, is another, as he's continued to pitch at a high level deep into his own career. He's recorded an .814 OPS with 11 homers and 35 RBI across 68 appearances. He's quietly provided solid value for St.

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Dodgers News: Former Dodger Albert Pujols is On a Tear in St. Louis (Dodgers Nation)

Former Dodgers bench bat Albert Pujols is probably done after this year, and he's on the chase for home run number 700 in St Louis.

On the second pitch he saw, Pujols deposited the ball into the crowd in left field for a grand slam, his 11th homer of the season and 690th of his career. After spending most of last season in Los Angeles after being released by Fake Los Angeles, Pujols re-signed with the Cardinals to play his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. Louis, where he spent the first eleven years of his career and amassed the vast majority of his Cooperstown résumé.

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Cardinals: Albert Pujols has a real chance for 700 career home runs (Redbird Rants)

On Thursday, in a rout of the Colorado Rockies, Pujols launched a pinch-hit grand slam into the left field bleachers. It was his 16th career grand slam – his ...

It would be a storybook ending to a career that has been among baseball’s best. And he’s doing it not just in a postseason race, with the team leading the National League Central by three games. The decision to pinch hit Pujols came in the third inning with the Cardinals leading 6-0.

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Albert Pujols' chase for 700 homers gets grand boost with recent binge (Sporting News)

ST. LOUIS — The Albert Pujols countdown has officially kicked into high gear. The Cooperstown-bound slugger clubbed the 690th home run of his career on ...

The Cubs are slated to start a lefty against the Cardinals on Monday, too. Using Baseball-Reference’s span feature, we checked to see whether he’s hit at least 10 home runs in any 45-game span in the past few years. For the DH, in the third inning. “This is the way he’s supposed to look like, here at this stadium, doing these things. We’ll get back to the rather amazing — and telling — context of that home run in a minute. Just sets the example for how I want to be and how I’d want other teammates to be. Senzatela left the game with a knee injury in the second inning — he was hurt trying to make a play on a grounder by Donovan — and the Rockies turned to lefty Austin Gomber. The Cardinals clearly outlined what they saw as his potential role — provide power against left-handed pitchers, off the bench and as the designated hitter — before agreeing to the contract, and Pujols gladly accepted the assignment. Overall, Pujols has a 132 OPS+, which is his best mark since 2012, his first year with the Angels. It’s a long shot, no doubt, considering that Pujols only has 11 home runs to this point of the season. Maybe more reachable — and satisfying, to many in baseball — would be to get to 697 career home runs, moving him one past the final total of Alex Rodriguez, who has admitted to using PEDs at two different extended periods during his 22-season career. Louis for his 22nd and final season, not only wanting to once again play in the city where he became a superstar, but to contribute as an impact power bat off the bench.

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'What Albert Pujols is doing is superhuman': Paul Goldschmidt hits ... (ClutchPoints)

St. Louis Cardinals veteran Albert Pujols playing at 42 is truly "superhuman" says his MVP teammate Paul Goldschmidt...

Albert is truly a great teammate and person. Hopefully, the Cardinals can make a deep playoff run come October and send Albert Pujols into retirement with a smile on his face. The first baseman is batting .335 with 29 bombs and 94 RBI. The things he’s done in his career are unbelievable and it’s truly a storybook ending that he’ll finish it out with the team who took a chance on him many years ago. He’s hitting .258 with 11 homers and 35 RBI in 190 at-bats in 2022, even going deep three times in his last four games, including a two-homer day on August 14th against the Brewers. [ by Bob Nightengale](https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1560775488666079233) if he could ever play as long as Pujols has.

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Albert Pujols Made Unique MLB History With A Grand Slam (The Cold Wire)

Albert Pujols had quite a day for himself on Thursday afternoon as the St. Louis Cardinals blew out the Colorado Rockies and earned a sweep. St.

690, which puts him 10 home runs shy of reaching the 700-homer plateau. [Albert Pujols](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral) had quite a day for himself on Thursday afternoon as the [St. He most certainly is the best player on the list of players who have hit pinch-hit grand slams in the first three innings of a game. Albert Pujols is the 3rd player in MLB history to hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the first 3 innings of a game. He joined some rare company with that grand slam too, becoming the third player to hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the first three innings of a game. A pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the third.

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Cardinals rookie goes full 'Space Jam' to absorb Yadier Molina ... (ClutchPoints)

Brendan Donovan sneakily stole his Cardinals teammate Yadier Molina's jersey in what he said was an attempt to snag his teammate's powers.

Molina and Pujols are two legends of the game, both making their mark in their own different ways. When asked about it, Donovan revealed that he was trying to pull a little bit of Monstars magic with his act. This season may very well be Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols’ final season with the St.

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Bernie's Redbird Review: Albert Pujols In 2022. A One Of A Kind ... (Scoops with Danny Mac)

I've covered Hall of Famers including Ozzie Smith, Whitey Herzog, Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Orlando Pace, Marshall Faulk, Brett Hull, Bernie Federko, Al ...

Toots For Noot: After a slow start to the season – mostly because of a lack of opportunity and a couple of stays in the minors – Nootbaar’s OPS+ is up to 119 on the season … The Cardinals (and Pujols) will see lefty starters in the first two games of the series (Tommy Henry and Madison Bumgarner) and then have to hit against one of the NL’s best starting pitchers, Merrill Kelly, in Sunday’s finale. the recent domination at Busch Stadium is mighty impressive; the Cardinals are 13-1 in their last 14 home games, 16-3 in their last 19 home games, 18-4 in their last 22 home games, and 27-8 in their last 35 at Busch … Arizona comes in with an 8-4 record in their last 12 (home or away) and are 15-11 since the All-Star break and 10-7 in August. Beware The Series At Arizona: This could be a challenging weekend for the Cardinals in Phoenix. Overall the Cardinals are 12-3 in their 15 games since the trade deadline and are tied with the Dodgers (also 12-3) for the best record in baseball since the deadline. Pujols was 21 in his first season (2001) with the Cardinals, and now he’s doubled up on that and is a Cardinal again at 42. The Cardinals are hot-hot-hot and in first place, he’s rising on the statistical leaderboards, and our baseball town is collectively happier than it’s been for a while. And what was expected of Pujols in 2022? In terms of his performance, we have no reason to shake our heads and quietly question the wisdom of this reunion. Warner’s astonishing rise to the top of his profession in one year – after being a nobody, grinding away in football’s minor leagues – was viewed as virtually impossible when the ‘99 season began. The magic in his bat is relentless.

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