Albert Pujols reaches 700 homer club with 2 against Dodgers

Albert Pujols on Friday evening became the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 700 home runs, hitting two in the St. Louis Cardinals 11-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Pujols hit Andrew Heaney’s four-seam fastball 434 feet into the left-center field stands in the third inning for his 699th homer and Phil Bickford’s slider 389 feet, also into the left-center field stands, in the fourth inning for his 700th.

“To be able to do it here at Dodger Stadium, where my joy for the game came back, was pretty special,” said Pujols, who signed with the Dodgers May 17, 2021, four days after being released by the Los Angeles Angels when he was hitting .198 through 24 games.

The second home run gave St. Louis a 5-0 lead with all the runs resulting from the elite slugger’s homers.

After crossing home plate, Pujols ran to backstop to embrace his close friend, retired third baseman Adrian Beltre, who was sitting in the stands.

He joins Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) as the only players to have hit at least 700 home runs.

The 42-year-old was the first player to hit his 699th and 700th home runs in the same game. The home runs increased his total for the season to 21, his most since 2019 when he hit 23.

Pujols and Bickford were teammates last season with the Dodgers. Pujols and Heaney were teammates with the Los Angeles Angels from 2015-20.

He was the first batter Bickford faced Friday.

Pujols has said repeatedly he will retire at the conclusion of the Cardinals’ season.

Updated Sept. 23, 2022, 11:03 p.m.