TOlbert Pujols rewarded a crowd that adored him with a home run on their return to Busch Stadium, which sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night.
Justin Turner hit two home runs and Will Smith he also homered for the playoff-contending Dodgers, who won for the sixth time in eight games. St. Louis has lost four in a row.
Pujols, a star slugger who led the Cardinals to a couple of World Series championships, made his second appearance at Busch Stadium after playing for St. Louis from 2001 to 2011.
Pujols received a 40-second ovation when it was announced his name before an at-bat in the first inning, with the longtime catcher and teammate Yadier Molina at the front of the plate to prolong the ovation. They had a brief hug before Pujols intervened.
Pujols quickly drilled the fourth pitch of JA Happ in a line on the wall on the left. It was the 679th home run of his career and the 17th of the season.
The 10 times All-Star sparked a similar reaction from fans when he returned to St. Louis with the Los Angels Angels for the first time in 2019. He received a standing ovation in all 12 plate appearances in that series, including a one-minute tribute. on his first trip to the plate. He also homered in the first game of that series.