Albert Pujols reached a historic milestone in Los Angeles, launching career home runs 699 and 700 in the same game. The first came off a center-cut fastball, his first swing with a brand-new bat. He crushed it to left, and a fan battled the crowd to hang onto the ball. Then, in his next at-bat, after a few sliders up in the zone, Pujols sat on another one and drilled it for number 700. The crowd knew the moment was big, rising to their feet before the pitch even came. The lucky fan in left field made a clean catch, fended off others reaching for the ball, and was quickly surrounded by stadium security.
The Cardinals dugout celebrated hard. Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright gave hugs, high fives, and some awkward half-hand greetings. Wainwright, oddly committed to one-handed high fives, confused teammates with his ritual. Pujols gave everyone a moment, including stopping for a quick chat with Adrian Beltre in the front row before returning to the team embrace. The Dodgers showed respect, with Mookie Betts and others watching from the field. Even Joey Gallo got in a clap. Cardinal teammates hugged, laughed, and soaked it in. A kid in the crowd got stuck in his sweatshirt trying to cheer. Everyone understood the moment. Home run 700 doesn’t happen often. Pujols made sure it looked easy.