St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit the 696th home run of his career on Saturday, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time list.
But at the end of the day, 21 years ago when I make the ballclub, that wasn't something that I was chasing. I think I'm aware of where I am in the history of the game. I think I'm going to let things happen and try to enjoy it. "Twenty-two years later, I don't think I'm going to change my approach. Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. "At the end of the day, it's about tying (the game) for the team and giving them an opportunity to pick up a win.
PITTSBURGH -- The Cardinals started Albert Pujols against a right-handed starter Saturday night at PNC Park, and he repaid the trust with another historic ...
18, Pujols had a pinch-hit grand slam in a 13-0 defeat of the Rockies -- the [first such home run of his career](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/albert-pujols-hits-pinch-hit-grand-slam-for-690th-home-run). In addition to homering against all 30 teams, Pujols has hit 62 home runs against the Astros, 59 against the Cubs, 53 against the Pirates, 48 versus the Reds and 45 against the Brewers. [within one home run of matching Rodriguez’s mark](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/albert-pujols-hits-695th-career-home-run) of 696 when he had a pinch-hit, two-run home run to break a scoreless tie in the eighth inning as the Cardinals topped the Cubs on Sept. The home run pace Pujols has been on in the second half gives fans hope of seeing a fourth member of the 700-homer club. Not to mention, Pujols will finish his final season facing the Pirates team he’s tormented six times, including his last three games at PNC Park. Prior to this season, Bonds held the MLB record for homering off 449 pitchers, but Pujols moved past him with a stirring finish to the season in terms of his power production. It was his third-hardest-hit homer in the Statcast Era (since 2015) with an exit velocity of 111.2 mph, and he sent it a projected 418 feet. It was the seventh pinch-hit home run of his career and the second one of this season. Pujols, 42, announced in Spring Training that this will be the final season of his career, and he has remained steadfast in that, regardless of how many home runs he winds up hitting. Former Cub Ryan Dempster surrendered the most Pujols home runs of any pitcher by yielding eight. Facing JT Brubaker for a third time in the game, Pujols swung on a high first-pitch slider and sent it to the rotunda beyond the left-field foul pole. “He’s been like my little brother for the last 20 years,” Pujols said.
Pujols should be able to overtake Rodriguez before he retires at season's end.
What's more is that the Cardinals will not face the toughest slate of opponents: they have five games remaining against the Cincinnati Reds and another six to go versus the Pirates. Pujols recently reaffirmed his intent to retire following this season, regardless of how many home runs he has or how close he is to reaching the 700 mark. Pujols entered Saturday's contest hitting .258/.333/.500 (137 OPS+) with 16 home runs and 43 runs batted in over the course of his first 88 games this season. In his first 35 contests since the All-Star Game, he hit .326/.387/.695 with 10 home runs in 106 plate appearances. T-4. The Cardinals would seem to be in a favorable position to give Pujols more playing time over the remaining few weeks of the season.
The Cardinals star is now four shy of joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the 700 home-run club.
[he still plans to retire after this season](https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/08/21/albert-pujols-still-plans-to-retire-despite-chase-for-700-home-runs) despite his home-run chase, is now four home runs away from joining the 700 club—Barry Bonds (762), Henry Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). [undefined](https://www.si.com/mlb/team/st-louis-cardinals) star [Albert Pujols](https://www.si.com/mlb/player/albert-pujols) hit his 696th career home run Saturday night to tie Alex Rodriguez for the fourth-most home runs in MLB history. [undefined](https://www.si.com/mlb/team/pittsburgh-pirates), then tying the score 3–3.
Albert Pujols is climbing into even more hallowed territory on the all-time home run list.
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The St. Louis Cardinals slugger hit his 696th homer in the top of the sixth inning of Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The three-time NL MVP has a .326/.387/.695 slash line and 10 homers in 95 at-bats. His return to the franchise where he became a superstar made for a nice story, but there was no indication it would be more than a chance for Cardinals fans to give him a final sendoff before retirement. They have gone 31-14 since the All-Star break to open up an 8.0-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Pujols a one-year deal after he cleared waivers. It looked like any chance of the 42-year-old being a positive contributor in the big leagues was over entering 2022. The St.
Con su jonrón 17 de la temporada el dominicano se coloca en el cuarto lugar del listado histórico.
Brubaker para conseguir el cuadrangular 696 de su carrera y el 17 de la temporada en su tercera oportunidad en el plato del partido del sábado por la noche ante los Pittsburgh Pirates. Albert Pujols empata con Alex Rodriguez en el 4to lugar de todos los tiempos en cuadrangulares... a 4 de los 700..— ESPN.com.do🇩🇴 (@ESPN_DO)
El legendario Albert Pujols volvió a mostrar todo su poder para conectar el jonrón 696 de su carrera y empatar a Alex Rodríguez en el cuarto lugar de todos ...
– Brubaker, salió de línea por todo el jardín izquierdo y consiguió un compañero a bordo para empatar la pizarra 3-3.
El veterano de Dominicana pegó un nuevo cuadrangular para su cuenta y con él logró empatar una marca que el ex Yankees tiene en su posesión.
Con ese palo de vuelta entera el oriundo de la República Dominicana se acerca a la marca de los 700. El siguiente en la lista es Babe Rut con 714. Pero además, empató a A Rod en un récord de home runs.
Albert Pujols bateó este sábado en la noche ante los Piratas de Pittsburgh el jonró ...
[Albert Pujols](https://fansided.com/es/posts/albert-pujols-llego-a-65-juegos-de-multiples-jonrones-en-grandes-ligas-01gah8r13cr3), bateó este sábado en la noche ante los Piratas de Pittsburgh el jonrón 696 de su carrera en la [MLB](https://fansided.com/es/leagues/mlb), igualando a Alex Rodríguez en la cuarta casilla histórica entre los jugadores con más cuadrangulares en las mayores. [Pujols](https://fansided.com/es/posts/el-coach-albert-pujols-cometeria-error-si-se-retira-mlb-2022) conectó el vuelacercas en la parte alta del sexto inning, llegando a 17 batazos de vuelta entera en lo que va de temporada de 2022. Si me dijeras 22 años atrás que estaría tan cerca, yo te habría dicho que estás loco.
The Cardinals' Albert Pujols is greeted by Yadier Molina after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Gene ...
Corey Dickerson singled for his second hit in the fifth. The Cardinals were nothing for five with runners in scoring position at that point. Flaherty issued his third walk and allowed a two-out single to Suwinski before Chavez flied to right. Nolan Arenado, who had been hitless in four at-bats, lined a bases-loaded double off Wil Crowe to send home three runners and the Cardinals’ modest losing streak had ended at two. His 17th home run of the season erased a 3-1 Pittsburgh lead. The drive off a slider from Pittsburgh right-hander JT Brubaker enabled Pujols to catch former American League slugger Rodriguez for fourth place on the most majestic of baseball’s offensive lists.
The St. Louis Cardinals legend and one of the greatest right-handed hitters in MLB history, is still driving the ball at a high level in his 22nd.
[Rickey Henderson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral) by 22 games for the fourth most in history. [Babe Ruth](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral) for second all-time and 101 away from [Hank Aaron](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral) for the most ever. Passing one of the greatest players of all time in two huge statistical categories should be enough of a reason to keep playing. Pujols has driven in 46 runs this year and at least 50 in every full season of his career. Speaking of Ruth, if Pujols can get to 700 home runs this season that would put him only 15 away from passing Ruth for third in career home runs. Pujols has been great in the playoffs throughout his career. For the year, Pujols looks like one of the best hitters in all of baseball against left-handed pitching. Also, the DH being added to the National League has helped Pujols in a big way. Pujols will not be a serviceable fielder for any team, but he can DH any day with the best of them. Louis Cardinals](https://thecoldwire.com/sports/mlb/st-louis-cardinals) legend and one of the greatest right-handed hitters in MLB history, is still driving the ball at a high level in his 22nd season. [Alex Rodriguez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=rodrial01,rodrig042ale,rodrig040ale,rodrig039ale,rodrig031ale,rodrig023ale,rodrig034ale,rodrig021ale&search=Alex+Rodriguez&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral) for the fourth most of all time. Pujols homered for the 17th time on Saturday night and that got him one step closer to 700 for his career.