On a night in Chavez Ravine, Albert Pujols turned a chase into a landmark.
The Cardinals icon launched home runs No. 699 and 700 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing off a run that had already been announced as his final season no matter how the pursuit ended. By the time the second one cleared the fence, the milestone was no longer a question. It was history.
Pujols’ final year gave a new wave of Cardinals fans one more look at the force that made him a legend. In 307 at-bats, he hit 24 home runs and posted a .270/.345/.550 slash line, his best numbers since 2013.
That season had plenty of moments worth remembering - a last laugh against the Cubs, a pimp-job for the ages against the Brew Crew, and a string of clutch homers. But none carried the same weight as 700.
The first shot came in the third inning against left-hander Andrew Heaney. Pujols lifted it deep into the left-field bleachers, a no-doubt blast that announced the chase was very much on.
He wasn’t done.
One inning later, with right-hander Phil Bickford on the mound, Pujols stepped in again and did what he had done so many times before. Earlier in the season, he hadn’t seen many chances against righties, but as the months went on, his bat heated up and even same-handed pitchers couldn’t slow him down.
Bickford’s curveball ended up right in the barrel of The Machine, and Pujols sent it soaring into the LA skyline. A fan came away with the ball, and the moment became part of baseball lore.
As he circled the bases, Pujols flashed a smile, then finished the trip home with Yadier Molina waiting to greet him. It was the kind of scene that fit the moment: a Cardinals great closing the book with two mammoth swings, and one more reminder that in St. Louis, it’s different.
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