Drew Smyly was working into the seventh inning of a scoreless duel against the St. Louis Cardinals and knew one mistake could change the game — especially to a hitter like Albert Pujols, up for his third at-bat in Monday's game.
To his delight, the Chicago Cubs left-hander threw the pitch exactly where he wanted it. It was a high fastball, 4.23 feet off the ground. Smyly's goal was a change-of-eye-level offering to set up Pujols for the next pitch, which would be something down. Instead, there was no next pitch.
To the surprise of just about everyone watching — especially the man who threw it — Pujols swung at the high fastball and pulled it deep into the night air for his 693rd career home run. He rounded the bases at Wrigley Field as his teammates watched wide-eyed and smiling.
«It was insane,» rookie Nolan Gorman said. «You don't see a lot of people hitting balls like that out.»
It was the second-highest pitch hit for a home run by any player this season. For Pujols, it was the highest he has hit since at least 2008 — and only the third-highest pitch during that time frame that he has even put in play.
«He's 'The Machine' for a reason,» Smyly said with a smirk afterward. «He's back.»
That home run was the lone tally in a 1-0 Cardinals win, adding yet another chapter to the legendary career of one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen.
If that was all the 42-year-old now-part-time player did this month, it would still be noteworthy. But it was far from a singular event. Pujols has been on fire — he has seven home runs with 14 RBIs and a .548 batting average since Aug. 10 — and no one is happier about it than his teammates.
«It's cool to be a part of history,» NL MVP favorite Paul Goldschmidt said this week.
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