Cardinals’ Albert Pujols hits two homers — 700 in reach?

Albert Pujols homered twice to help lift the St. Louis Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-3, on Sunday.

Pujols hit a solo shot in the second and a three-run drive in the eighth to give him 689 career homers. As his final season winds down, the 42-year-old Pujols ranks fourth on the career homer list behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (696). 

Sunday was also Pujols’ 63rd career multi-homer game, which is tied for the fifth-most in MLB history (Willie Mays). Babe Ruth has the most with 72 and Mark McGuire is fourth with 67. 

It’s the second time Pujols has hit two homers in a game this season, making him the third player to have two multi-homer games at the age of 42 or older (Barry Bonds and Carlton Fisk). 

Sunday’s performance gives Pujols 10 homers on the season over 66 games. St. Louis only has 48 games left this season, meaning Pujols will have to hit a home run in roughly every four games in order to reach 700. 

As for what else went down in the Cardinals’ win, starter Mike Mikolas (9-9) permitted two runs on four hits, six strikeouts and no walks over eight innings pitched. Mikolas has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in nine of 13 starts.

Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill also hit homers for the Cardinals on Sunday. With the win, St. Louis extended its lead over Milwaukee to 1.5 games for the NL Central. 

Reporting by Associated Press