Sometime in the next few months, the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols will cap an illustrious 22-year career. But as he starts to round home on his pending retirement, the St. Louis baseball legend still has a few shows to put on.
On Thursday afternoon, as the Cardinals hosted the Rockies (+192), Pujols had a perfect chance in front of him. With the bases loaded at the bottom of the third inning, and St. Louis already leading 6-0, Pujols came on to pinch-hit and see what magic could create with his bat.
Let’s just say the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer fully maximized the opportunity:
Yet again, Albert leaves us speechless! pic.twitter.com/5LHmcdja8x
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 18, 2022
Holy cow, Pujols destroyed that ball! That’s one heck of a way to notch your 690th career home run — your first career pinch-hit grand slam. No wonder the home crowd at Busch Stadium went absolutely bananas for the all-time great. (Note: The Cardinals went on to win 13-0.)
For additional context, that’s now 16 career grand slams for Pujols as he puts himself within earshot of 700 career homers in his final MLB season. With 45 games remaining, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Pujols becomes the fourth member of the 700-home run club behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth.
Oh, and Pujols is heating up at the right time, too:
Albert Pujols has the highest OPS in baseball during the month of August. (min 20 ABs)
— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) August 18, 2022
With all this said, we’ll cross that milestone bridge if/when we get to it.
For now, take a bow, Sir Albert.
MLB fans were in awe over Pujols' towering grand slam for his 690th home run
WE ARE ALL WITNESSES! https://t.co/eaRfQhq3b8
— Parker King (@King_Reports) August 18, 2022
GOAT!!! https://t.co/JaT7WcsvyM
— Carlos Pérez Tejada (@cpereztejada) August 18, 2022
An amazing home run for the books https://t.co/Hdcx3Ol3B2
— DCS Breaks (@DanSpeed10) August 18, 2022
Speechless. https://t.co/JyK9tfUsq2
— Ruthie Polinsky (@ruthiepolinsky) August 18, 2022
The legend https://t.co/KwyfICiRsa
— Scott (@SKirkelie) August 18, 2022
Thrilled he’s closing so strong and getting his due. Also looking like he retires a 100 WAR guy. https://t.co/qBs7tE0WCN
— Jeremy Gray (@IUJGray) August 18, 2022
This gives me chills. https://t.co/xBFsNu70N3
— Nick Hoffman (@Nick_Hoffman2) August 18, 2022
All I need in life is number 5 in the 700 club https://t.co/g6D8zO6Eii
— Bradley Prescott IV (@Natty_light_HW) August 18, 2022
ALBERT PUJOLS GRAND SLAM FOR #690!!
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) August 18, 2022
Shoutout to the parents who made a bold choice to check their kids out of the first days of school to maybe see Albert Pujols do Albert Pujols stuff. They were rewarded with a pinch-hit grand slam. You're not seeing that during recess.
— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) August 18, 2022
Albert Pujols has been crushing big league nukes since 2001 and that’s ridiculous pic.twitter.com/6JhXzjKjvn
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) August 18, 2022
Albert Pujols grand slam. Someone pinch me. #STLCards
— Caleb Noble (@calebnoble08) August 18, 2022
