ALBERT PUJOLS

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said that he didn't have a problem if the fan who caught his 700th home run wanted to keep it.

Unlike the fan who caught Aaron Judge's 60th home run, the person who caught Pujols' home run Friday night reportedly left the stadium with the ball after it was authenticated by officials. Pujols, though, wasn't frustrated, upset or worried about not getting the ball back after his historic night. It's a pretty tempered response from Pujols, who became just the fourth player in MLB history to reach 700 home runs. Pujols also ranks third in MLB history in RBIs behind Aaron and Ruth. While the fan left with the ball, there is still a chance he could give it back to Pujols in exchange for something.

ORLANDO, Fla. — High school football is back in full swing as we enter week five of the season. For the first time this season, we had clear skies under the Friday night lights as teams battled it out on the gridiron. Photos: Albert Pujols hits 700th home run, joins baseball legends Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe RuthCheck out all the highlights from week four, including our McCoy Federal Credit Union game of the week featuring undefeated Edgewater playing Apopka High school. Read: College Football returns to WFTV Channel 9You can watch WFTV Football Friday Night presented by McCoy Federal Credit Union every Friday night after WFTV Tonight at 11:30 p.m.Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. ©2022 Cox Media Group

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit home runs 699 and 700 of his career Friday, becoming just the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to reach 700.

Playing the final days of his last big league season, the 42-year-old Pujols joined Barry Bonds (762 homers), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) in one of baseball's most exclusive clubs.

“This is like the Mount Rushmore of sluggers, so to reach that 700-home run mark, it’s remarkable,” Roberts said. Showing the pop from his younger, dominant days, Pujols hit No. Lars Nootbaar, Juan Yepez and Alec Burleson also homered for St. Louis. Pujols has enjoyed a productive season after returning to St. Louis in March for a $2.5 million, one-year contract. Pujols left St. Louis in free agency in December 2011, signing a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Angels.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run, becoming the fourth player to reach the milestone in major league history.

>> Read more trending newsAccording to The Associated Press, only three other baseball legends have made the 700 home run club — Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. Pujols, 42, has said that this season is his final one after playing for 22 years, according to Major League Baseball. According to the MLB, Bonds hit 762 home runs, Aaron hit 755 home runs and Ruth hit 714. MLB reported that Pujols and Aaron are the only two players with at least 3,000 hits and 700 home runs. Pujols is also the most “prolific Dominican hitter” in baseball history, also becoming the first Dominican to hit 700 home runs, according to the Washington Post.

The 42-year-old Pujols hit No. This was his 14th home run since the start of August for the NL Central-leading Cardinals, and his 21st of the season. Pujols snapped a tie with Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the list when he hit career homer No. Pujols also began his career in St. Louis. Pujols left St. Louis in free agency in December 2011, signing a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Angels.

Albert Pujols rejuvenated his career at Dodger Stadium last season. The legendary St. Louis Cardinals first baseman hit one home run, then another against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday to join MLB's exclusive 700-homer club. The first homer came in the third-inning against Dodgers starter Andrew Heaney, a no-doubter to left field that traveled 434 feet. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to pull the left-handed Heaney for the right-handed Phil Bickford, but the platoon advantage didn't matter. Pujols bashed another ball to left field and entered a club that once felt impossible.

Albert Pujols joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history to hit 700 home runs in their careers on Friday.

Albert Pujols is one home run away from joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history to hit 700 home runs.

LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 699th career home run on Friday night, continuing his remarkable run toward history in his final season. The 42-year-old St. Louis Cardinals slugger went deep to the left-field pavilion off Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Andrew Heaney on a 1-2 pitch with one out in the third inning. Pujols received a standing ovation from the crowd at Dodger Stadium. Pujols is trying to become the fourth major leaguer to reach 700 homers, following Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). Pujols hit his 20th home run of the year, including 13 since the start of August.

Albert Pujols is on the precipice of once felt like a longshot, the exclusive MLB 700-home run club. 6⃣9⃣9⃣pic.twitter.com/1gtM8Tiy7l — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 24, 2022The home run is Pujols' 20th of the season and his 13th since Aug. 10. Albert Pujols climbing toward 700-homer clubThe year Pujols debuted in MLB, Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs on his way to summiting MLB's career homer leaderboard. "I'm still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever,'' Pujols told USA Today in August. Postseason homers don't count toward MLB's career leaderboards, but Pujols' place on the October-specific homer leaderboard might feel familiar.

Albert Pujols has hit his 699th career home run, continuing his remarkable run toward history in his final season.

Apple TV+ has exclusive coverage of both games as part of its “Friday Night Baseball” package. Fans can access both games Friday night on Apple TV+ for free and without the need for a subscription. The Apple TV app is on all Apple devices and can also be accessed on smart TVs, gaming consoles, and cable boxes. Pujols' St. Louis Cardinals visit the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols played most of last season with the Dodgers after being released by the Los Angeles Angels.

Fans looking to watch Aaron Judge’s pursuit of the AL home run record or Albert Pujols chase 700 homers live Friday night will need to do it via streaming.

SAN DIEGO — (AP) — Brendan Donovan hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to lead Albert Pujols and the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, snapping a three-game losing streak. The next stop in his pursuit of the 700-homer club is Dodger Stadium, where the Cardinals open a three-game series on Friday. Manny Machado hit his 30th homer for the Padres, who had won five in a row. Kawhi Leonard, who played two seasons at San Diego State, attended a game with his family earlier in the season. UP NEXTCardinals: LHP José Quintana (5-6, 3.16 ERA) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Brendan Donovan hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to lead Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory against the San Diego Padres, snapping a three-game losing streak.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols broke up San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell's no-hitter bid in the seventh inning. Pujols is still stuck at 698 career home runs.

SAN DIEGO — (AP) — Blake Snell held St. Louis hitless until Albert Pujols beat the shift for a single with two outs in the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres beat the NL Central-leading Cardinals 1-0 on Wednesday night. The left-hander's brilliant effort carried the Padres to their fifth straight win and extended the rotation's scoreless streak to 27 2/3 innings. The Padres have shut out the Cardinals in the first two games of the three-game series, keeping Pujols at 698 career homers. The left-handed Snell had shut down Pujols and the Cardinals into the seventh, retiring the slugger twice and issuing just two walks. Juan Yepez followed with a single before Snell struck out Paul DeJong to tie his career-high of 13.

Blake Snell held St. Louis hitless until Albert Pujols beat the shift for a single with two outs in the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres beat the NL Central-leading Cardinals 1-0.

SAN DIEGO — (AP) — Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals grounded a single to right field with two outs in the seventh inning to break up a no-hit bid by Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres. The left-handed Snell had shut down Pujols and the NL Central-leading Cardinals until the 42-year-old slugger, who is two shy of 700 home runs for his career, punched a base hit to right on a 3-1 pitch, Snell's 107th of the game. Until then, the left-handed Snell had allowed only two runners, issuing walks to Nolan Arenado leading off the second inning and Paul Goldschmidt with one out in the fourth. He had retired Pujols twice, on a strikeout and a groundout. Juan Yepez followed with a single before Snell struck out Paul DeJong to tie his career-high of 13.

SAN DIEGO — (AP) — Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres has pitched six no-hit innings against Albert Pujols and the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals. The left-handed Snell has allowed only two runners, issuing walks to Nolan Arenado leading off the second inning and Paul Goldschmidt with one out in the fourth. He's retired Pujols twice — a strikeout and a groundout — with the 42-year-old two home runs shy of 700 for his career. Snell has struck out 11. The Cardinals haven't come close to getting a hit and have put only seven balls in play.

Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres has pitched six no-hit innings against Albert Pujols and the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals.

The 42-year-old is in his final Major League season and is hoping to join three baseball legends in reaching 700 home runs. Only Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds have done it. Pujols has 698.

The Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Cardinals' Albert Pujols are each closing in on a major home run record, bringing life to every at-bat as their teams near the end of the regular season.

Aaron Judge is three home runs away from passing the American League record of 61 and Albert Pujols is just two away from hitting the 700-homer mark.

Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols could make this a milestone week for home runs. Judge hit two more Sunday, raising his season total to 59, two shy of Roger Maris' American League record. Pujols, meanwhile, is somewhat improbably closing in on the 700-homer mark after hitting 12 since the start of August. There's one way in which Judge will likely surpass both Bonds and Maris, no matter how many more homers he hits. Maris only led the majors by seven when he hit 61, and Bonds led by nine when he hit 73.

Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols could make this a milestone week for home runs.

Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols could make this a milestone week for home runs. Pujols, meanwhile, is somewhat improbably closing in on the 700-homer mark after hitting 12 since the start of August. Judge's pursuit of Maris has stirred debate over how to put this AL record in context, should he break it.

ST. LOUIS — (AP) — Yadier Molina hit a two-run drive while Albert Pujols went hitless in his quest for 700 homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader. Pujols started at first base and hit second for the first time this season. He is hitting .317 (45 for 142) with 15 homers and 35 RBIs in 48 games since July 10. Molina hit his fifth homer in the third, a drive to left that capped a three-run inning. The rookie is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three starts against the Cardinals this season.

Yadier Molina hit a two-run drive while Albert Pujols went hitless in his quest for 700 homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Yadier Molina hit a two-run drive while Albert Pujols went hitless in his quest for 700 homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals swept a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 and 1-0 in 11 innings on Saturday. Pujols started at first base in the opener and hit second for the first time this season. St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said playing Pujols so frequently is a no-brainer despite his age of 42.

Albert Pujols has a flair for the dramatic. Not only did he tie the Cardinals' game with a two-run home run Friday, it was also the 698th of his career.

ST. LOUIS — (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a tying two-run drive in the sixth inning that sparked the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 on Friday night. Pujols hit a first-pitch slider from Raynel Espinal 427 feet into the left-field stands for his 19th home run this season, tying the score 4-4. Five of his last six home runs have come in the sixth inning or later, and his last five homers have tied the game or put St. Louis ahead. Pujols hit a drive to T.J. Friedl at the left-field wall in the seventh. St. Louis (85-60), which began the night with a 7 1/2-game lead over second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central, has 17 games remaining.

Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a tying two-run drive in the sixth inning that sparked the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 6-5.

ST. LOUIS — (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a two-run drive that pulled the St Louis Cardinals into a sixth-inning tie with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. Pujols hit a first-pitch slider Raynel Espinal 427 feet into the left-field stands for his 19th home run of the season, tying the score 4-4. Pujols trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the career list. Pujols has hit 15 home runs in 47 games since July 10 in his 22nd major league season. St. Louis has 17 games remaining.

Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a two-run drive that pulled the St Louis Cardinals into a sixth-inning tie with the Cincinnati Reds.

The home run is Pujols' 19th of the season and 11th since Aug. 10. What once felt impossible is now firmly within Pujols grasp, as the Cardinals will have 17 games left for him to reach the milestone. Albert Pujols climbing toward 700-homer clubThe year Pujols debuted in MLB, Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs on his way to summiting MLB's career homer leaderboard. This latest power surge with the Cardinals now has Pujols ahead of Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time home run list. Postseason homers don't count toward MLB's career leaderboards, but Pujols' place on the October-specific homer leaderboard might feel familiar.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina made history with the first pitch of the game, then the record-setting battery helped the St. Louis Cardinals extend their NL Central lead by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina have made their 325th career start together, setting a major league record for most as a battery.

Atlanta finally passed the New York Mets — then the Braves ran into their mirror image from the American League. That would be the Seattle Mariners, who took two of three from the Braves and are now 50-22 in their last 72 games. That helped the Braves erase a 10 1/2-game deficit in the NL East, even though the first-place Mets never played all that badly. The Braves are trying to defend the World Series title they won last year. That year, San Francisco was 10 games ahead of the Braves in late July, then went 38-27 the rest of the way.

Atlanta finally passed the New York Mets this past week.

The 42-year-old Pujols has 21 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. One out after Pujols connected, Tyler O’Neil hit a solo shot to cap St. Louis’ big inning. It was his first start against the Pirates since they traded him to St. Louis on Aug. 1. LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-3, 3.08) will start for St. Louis. Pirates: Open a four-game series at Cincinnati on Monday with RHP Bryse Wilson (2-8, 6.11) facing LHP Mike Minor (4-10, 5.70).

Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run, moving past Alex Rodriguez into fourth place on the career list and doing it in dramatic fashion with a ninth-inning drive that rallied the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3.

Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run, moving past Alex Rodriguez into fourth place on the career list and doing it in dramatic fashion with a ninth-inning drive that rallied the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Sunday. The NL Central-leading Cardinals trailed 2-1 when Pujols connected for a two-run drive. Pujols had tied Rodriguez with a home run Saturday night.

PITTSBURGH — (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 Saturday night. The 42-year-old Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. With St. Louis down 3-1 in the sixth, Pujols connected on a first-pitch slider from JT Brubaker. Pirates: RHP David Bednar threw a live batting practice on Saturday. Quintana and RHP Chris Stratton were sent to St. Louis on Aug. 1 in a trade that moved RHP Johan Oviedo and INF Malcolm Nuñez to the Pirates.

Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5.

Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 Saturday night. The 42-year-old Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. “I don’t care who I tied,” Pujols said.

PITTSBURGH — (AP) — St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run Saturday night, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list. The 42-year-old Pujols connected in the sixth inning of the Cardinals' game at Pittsburgh. Pujols trails Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the all-time homer chart. The 42-year-old Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. With St. Louis down 3-1, Pujols homered on a first-pitch slider from JT Brubaker.

St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols has hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list.

Rodolfo Castro doesn't remember how old he was when he first met Albert Pujols, or even the exact circumstances, whether it was at a major league game or during one of the big slugger's charitable trips back to the Dominican Republic. “I know I was a young kid,” recalled Castro, now the 23-year-old infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was just last year, after Castro signed with the Pirates and climbed every laborious rung on the minor league ladder, that he learned there was nothing to fear.

ST. LOUIS — (AP) — Albert Pujols collected home run No. 695 in the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight shutout innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. St. Louis has won four in a row, 18 of their last 20 home games and is a season-best 24 games over .500 at 79-55. HOMETOWN HEROBoston Celtics standout Jayson Tatum, a St. Louis native, threw out the first pitch. Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 5.63) will face Washington RHP Anibal Sanchez (1-5, 5.05) in the first of a four-game series on Monday afternoon in St. Louis.

Albert Pujols hit his 695th career home run in the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight scoreless innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0.

Albert Pujols collected home run No. 695 in the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight shutout innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Pujols drilled the two-run, pinch-hit shot off reliever Brandon Hughes (2-2).

Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 13th inning, Lars Nootbaar added a two-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals twice used five-man infields to stop the Cincinnati Reds and pull out a 5-3 win on Wednesday night. In his final game in Cincinnati, Pujols shook off going hitless in five at-bats to deliver against Chase Anderson (0-2), driving in automatic runner Paul Goldschmidt with one out. “I know he enjoyed it,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said of Pujols, who plans to retire after the season.

Paul Goldschmidt slugged his 32nd and 33rd homers and had five RBIs, Corey Dickerson set a franchise record for consecutive hits and the St. Louis Cardinals rolled to an 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki drove in runs off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright in the third. BLANKED AGAINThe Cubs shut out the Cardinals for the second time this season, following a 3-0 win at St. Louis on June 24. ... St. Louis added LHP Matthew Liberatore from Triple-A Memphis as its 27th man. The 22-year-old is rated as the Cardinals' top pitching prospect, but struggled in two previous stints with St. Louis this season. UP NEXTSt. Louis RHP Jake Woodford (2-0, 2.66 ERA) was to face Chicago's Adrian Sampson (1-3, 3.51) in the nightcap.

Javier Assad pitched four scoreless innings in his major league debut and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter as the Chicago Cubs cooled off the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno says he is exploring the possibility of selling the franchise.

693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory. Pujols led off the seventh with a drive to left-center for his seventh homer in his last 10 games and No. Drew Smyly became the 449th pitcher to surrender a homer to the 42-year-old Pujols, who matched Barry Bonds for the major league record. It was Pujols' 940th multihit game, snapping a tie with Paul Waner for 10th on the career list. Adam Wainwright (9-8, 3.11 ERA) starts the opener for St. Louis, and Jake Woodford (2-0, 2.66 ERA) takes the mound for the second game.

Albert Pujols hit career homer No. 693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 for their season-high eighth straight victory.

Albert Pujols hit career homer No. 693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory. Pujols led off the seventh with a drive to left-center for his seventh homer in his last 10 games and No. 14 overall in his final big league season. Drew Smyly became the 449th pitcher to surrender a homer to the 42-year-old Pujols, who matched Barry Bonds for the major league record.

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the few teams with too many options. The jumbo digs were eventually assigned to Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, and who could really argue? Across the room was 34-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, one of the game's best first basemen who is a seven-time All-Star and in the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign.

PHOENIX — (AP) — Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols blasted two more homers, pushing his career total to 692 and helping St. Louis beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-7 on Saturday night. It was a vintage night for the 42-year-old Pujols, who continues to hit like a man at least a decade younger. He nearly hit a third homer, scorching a single off the base of the left field wall in the fifth. He capped his 4-for-4 night with a ground ball single through the left side of the infield in the seventh. The D-backs will pitch RHP Merrill Kelly (10-5, 2.81 ERA) while the Cardinals counter with LHP Jose Quintana (4-5, 3.38).

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols blasted two more homers, pushing his career total to 692 and helping St. Louis beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-7.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol leaned back in his chair postgame, trying to find more superlatives to describe ageless Albert Pujols. “Listen to the names that we're talking about, man,” Marmol said. Pujols blasted two more homers on Saturday night, pushing his career total to 692 and helping St. Louis beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-7.

PHOENIX — (AP) — Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit two more home runs Saturday night, boosting his total to 692 and moving him past Stan Musial into second place on the career list for total bases. The 42-year-old Pujols connected for solo homers in the second and fourth innings against Arizona left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Pujols needs four more to tie Alex Rodriguez for the No. Pujols' first homer of the game gave him 6,137 total bases. Pujols has been on a roll over the past month, batting .386 with five homers over his past 16 games coming into Saturday.

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit two more home runs, boosting his total to 692 and moving him past Stan Musial into second place on the career list for total bases.

ST. LOUIS — (AP) — Albert Pujols launched a pinch-hit grand slam and drove in five runs, Adam Wainwright pitched seven sharp innings and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Colorado Rockies 13-0 Thursday for a three-game sweep. The Rockies lost starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela and right fielder Charlie Blackmon in the second inning to leg injuries. St. Louis has won 12 of its last 13 home games and has taken 12 straight from the Rockies at Busch Stadium. Pujols hit his 690th career home run, connecting off Austin Gomber and capping a five-run third that made it 10-0. St. Louis went 5-1 in the games against Colorado and Milwaukee.

Albert Pujols launched a pinch-hit grand slam and drove in five runs, Adam Wainwright pitched seven sharp innings and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Colorado Rockies 13-0 for a three-game sweep.

Albert Pujols launched a pinch-hit grand slam and drove in five runs, Adam Wainwright pitched seven sharp innings and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Colorado Rockies 13-0 Thursday for a three-game sweep. “We’re playing right now, I think the way that we were expecting ourselves to play early in the year,” Pujols said. Wainwright called Pujols “incredible.”

Albert Pujols homered twice and Miles Mikolas tossed eight effective innings, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 on Sunday. Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill also connected for St. Louis, which pushed its NL Central lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games. Carlson broke a 2-all tie with his eighth homer of the season, a drive to left against Taylor Rogers (1-6) in the eighth.

When Juan Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year deal to stay with the Washington Nationals, it ensured Tuesday’s trade deadline would have a little juice.

Angels star Shohei Ohtani called his shot before leading off the Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium, telling Fox’s Tom Verducci in the on-deck circle that he was going to jump on Clayton Kershaw quickly.

Washington Nationals star Juan Soto won his first Home Run Derby.

Washington’s Juan Soto advanced to the final with a 16-15 victory over St. Louis slugger and sentimental favorite Albert Pujols.

Pete Alonso, Albert Pujols and Kyle Schwarber tee off in the All-Star Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium, where fans see how far and fast the sluggers can launch longballs into the Los Angeles twilight.

Cardinals reliever Genesis Cabrera slammed the ball to the ground in frustration when he was removed from the game, prompting a stern response from manager Oliver Marmol moments before St. Louis closed out a 7-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Hanser Alberto hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers climbed out of a huge hole in a 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Red Sox lefty Chris Sale is set to make his season debut when he starts against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

Now that the full Major League Baseball All-Star squads have been announced, look for the rosters to start changing.

Los Angeles Angels sensation Shohei Ohtani repeated as a two-way All-Star when he was picked for the AL pitching staff, two days after he was elected to start at designated hitter.

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels were elected Friday to start in the July 19 All-Star Game along with outfielders Mookie Betts and Trea Turner of the host Dodgers.

Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera were added to All-Star Game rosters by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred under a provision in the sport’s new labor agreement.

It took four seasons for Shohei Ohtani to join the biggest major league stars of the last eight decades.

New York Mets ace Max Scherzer returns to a major league mound for the first time since May 18 when the NL East leaders play at Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

Free falling toward a dreadful bit of team history, the Angels fired manager Joe Maddon on Tuesday and appointed third base coach Phil Nevin to the role on an interim basis.

Injured Mets ace Max Scherzer has confirmed that his dog bit his pitching hand this week, but he says the wound won’t slow his recovery from an oblique strain.

First, Albert Pujols.

Albert Pujols hit two home runs, then caught the warmup tosses when star catcher Yadier Molina made his first pitching appearance to close out the St. Louis Cardinals' 18-4 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson has accused Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson of making a racist remark during Saturday’s game and Major League Baseball is looking into the incident.

Hours after the Mets learned Max Scherzer will join fellow ace Jacob deGrom on the injured list, Pete Alonso kept New York rolling with a two-run homer in the 10th inning for a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Mets ace Max Scherzer removed himself from a start against the St. Louis Cardinals with discomfort in left side.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina set a major league record for wins by a starting battery as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the San Francisco Giants 15-6 in a game that ended with longtime slugger Albert Pujols on the mound.

Rylan Bannon became just the third Baltimore player since 2000 to get a hit on the first pitch of his big league career, Jorge Mateo and Anthony Bemboom homered and the Orioles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2.

Adam Wainwright pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, Nolan Arenado hit a three-run shot and finished with five RBIs, and the Cardinals beat the Royals 10-0 to take their four-game season series.

Albert Pujols homered for the first time since returning to St. Louis and Andrew Knizner hit a three-run shot as the Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-5.

Adam Wainwright pitched six scoreless innings, Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run homer and drove in five, and the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated Albert Pujols’ return with a 9-0 season-opening win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.