Pujol hits 599th career homer • National punish Giants
When Albert Pujols reached 500 career home runs, he improbably hit Nos. 499 and 500 on the same night, three years ago in Washington. On Tuesday at Angel Stadium, Pujols had the opportunity to one-up himself and complete his latest milestone within the same inning.
He could not, but he aided the Angels’ efforts in a 9-3 victory over Atlanta.
At 8:01 p.m, Pujols slammed the 599th home run of his lengthy, illustrious career off of fellow Dominican Bartolo Colon. At 8:19, he came up to bat again, amid the Angels’ bizarre nine-run third inning. Rookie righthander Luke Jackson had replaced Colon, and he walked Pujols to the disappointment of the home crowd. The fans sat back down and put away their cellphones. The anticipation again surfaced in the fifth inning, when Pujols flied out, and the eighth, when he struck out.
With his homer, Pujols did tie Babe Ruth with his 2,873rd hit, 44th all time.
Milestone home runs are never a surprise. The Angels have long had an adjustable billboard promoting this impending achievement beyond the bleachers in center field. But in his swooping pursuit, Pujols managed to inject some excitement into the inevitability.
After Juan Graterol singled to begin the third inning and Kole Calhoun reached on a one-out throwing error, Pujols battled Colon to eight pitches before he received a 3-and-2 fastball up in the strike zone. Like he has so many times since the turn of the century, Pujols whipped his hands and forced the baseball into the left-field bleachers, 410 feet from home plate. The three-run homer moved the Angels ahead, 3-2.
“That’s a huge hit to get us back on top,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “And then we just put the ball in play, ran the bases and ended up looking up and seeing nine runs on the board.”
Stadium officials got to work changing the billboard from 598 to 599, and the Angels continued to rally. Luis Valbuena singled through to right field, Andrelton Simmons reached on an error by young Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, and Ben Revere reached on a fielder’s choice that first baseman Matt Adams fielded but inexplicably could not throw. Cliff Pennington reached on a similar mistake by Colon, and on it went until Valbuena lined into a double play after Pujols’ walk.
There were three Atlanta errors in all and several more misplays.
“They cracked the door open for us,” Scioscia said. “But we put a lot of pressure on them.”
The Angels’ spot starter was 25-yearold right-hander Parker Bridwell, who was making his first major league start. He began by allowing singles to three of the first four hitters he faced. On the third, to right field by Adams, Calhoun threw home to erase Nick Markakis, who was trying to score from second. Bridwell settled, struck out Tyler Flowers looking and retired the next four Braves to bat.
“I pride myself on not showing any emotion,” Bridwell said.
He issued a one-out walk to Ender Inciarte in the third and grooved a first-pitch fastball to Matt Kemp, who hit a two-run homer. Bridwell did not permit another hit until Flowers led off with the seventh inning with a home run to center. When Rio Ruiz followed with a single, Scioscia called in righthander Deolis Guerra. He and David Hernandez worked through the rest of the game without issue.
“He was not fazed by Kemp’s home run,” Scioscia said of Bridwell. “Great poise.”
While successful, Bridwell’s major league stay should be brief. He was filling the spot of right-hander Alex Meyer, who is now likely to rejoin the rotation Thursday against his former team, the Minnesota Twins.
The Angels announced a Tuesday crowd of 32,028 fans, most of whom immediately exited as soon as Pujols swung and missed at an Ian Krol breaking ball in the eighth inning.
(Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Red Sox 12, White Sox 7
Light-hitting Deven Marrero belted a pair of home runs and had five RBIs to help Chris Sale escape with a victory in his return to Chicago as the Boston Red Sox went deep six times and outslugged the White Sox on Tuesday night.
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a three-run homer and an RBI double, and Xander Bogaerts had four hits, including a solo homer. Mitch Moreland had a two-run homer, Mookie Betts hit a solo shot and Sam Travis had three of Boston’s 16 hits. Sale (6-2), who spent his first seven seasons with Chicago, allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in five innings -- his shortest, shakiest outing this season. The lanky left-hander, traded to the Red Sox last December for four prospects, struck out nine to boost his major-league-leading total to 110.
Nationals 6, Giants 3
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez pitched into the seventh inning and aided his own cause with an RBI single to help Washington outlast San Francisco.
The incident-free game began hours after the National League announced that Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Giants reliever Hunter Strickland were suspended four and six games, respectively, for their roles in a fight late in Washington’s 3-0 victory Monday.
Indians 9, Athletics 4
Trevor Bauer struck out a careerhigh 14, the most by an American League pitcher this season, and rookie Bradley Zimmer had a double, a home run and a career-high four RBIs as Cleveland defeated Oakland.
Bauer (5-4) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk. He and three relievers combined for 19 strikeouts. Jason Kipnis also homered and Jose Ramirez had his third consecutive three-hit game for Cleveland.
Yankees 8, Orioles 3
Luis Severino had another dominant outing, and Brett Gardner and Matt Holliday each hit a pair of solo homers as New York routed Baltimore.
The Yankees can hand the Orioles only their second series loss at Camden Yards this season in the finale Wednesday. Baltimore has lost eight of its past nine games.
Dodgers 9, Cardinals 4
Los Angeles scored four runs in the third inning, three in the fifth and two in the ninth to erase an early three-run deficit en route to its sixth consecutive victory.
Chase Utley had three hits for the Dodgers. Enrique Hernandez drove in a pair of runs, and Logan Forsythe reached base five times, collecting two hits and knocking in a run for Los Angeles.
Padres 6, Cubs 2
Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer and a two-run double, and Hunter Renfroe added a tiebreaking, two-run double in a four-run fifth inning as San Diego handed Chicago its fifth straight loss.
Padres rookie right-hander Dinelson Lamet (2-0) picked up his second win in as many major league starts, holding the Cubs to two runs on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in five innings.
Rangers 9, Rays 5
Elvis Andrus collected five RBIs in his final two at-bats as Texas rallied past Tampa Bay.
The Rangers trailed 5-2 going into the seventh before Andrus tied the game with a three-run homer. An inning later, he capped a four-run frame with a two-run single to left field.
Mets 5, Brewers 4 (12 innings)
Jay Bruce’s RBI single in the 12th inning lifted New York over Milwaukee. Bruce, who was hitless in his first five at-bats, laced a clean single up the middle off Wily Peralta (5-4) and past diving shortstop Orlando Arcia to score T.J. Rivera and cap a marathon that lasted 4 hours, 24 minutes.
Mariners 10, Rockies 4
Kyle Seager homered and drove in four runs as Seattle pounced on starter Tyler Anderson to defeat Colorado. Jean Segura had four hits, and Ben Gamel, Seager and Guillermo Heredia each had three for the Mariners, who banged out a season-high 19 hits, six for extra bases. Seattle won its third straight, one shy of its season high.