Slowly but surely Albert Pujols is making people forget about the horrible slump he began the season in and Thursday he reminded everyone why he is considered the best hitter in baseball.
Pujols had his third three-hit game in the Los Angeles Angels' 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. It was his first hit though, that was the most memorable.
In the bottom of the first inning, with a runner on second, Pujols drilled a home run over the left field wall that bounced off the facade of the second deck. The blast was number 450 in his career, making Pujols the fourth-youngest player in major league history to reach that mark. At an age of 32 years and 129 days, he sits behind only Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jimmie Fox. He is in front of fifth-placed Sammy Sosa by exactly 200 days.
The two runs would be all Los Angeles would need against the Mariners as Pujols was not the only Angel on his game. Dan Haren pitched one of the best games of his career. He went the distance, allowing just four hits and tossing the sixth career shutout. Along the way, he recorded a personal best 14 strikeouts. It was one of the best performances in club history. Only one other Angels pitcher has had more strikeouts in a game without allowing a walk.
"I stayed with what was working and they were going to have to adjust to me," Haren said.
It was a nice bounce-back performance from Haren who has struggled this season and came into the game having lost four in a row. After Wednesday's performance, his record stands at just 2-5 as he has battled back injuries.
Pujols has also struggled this year, although injuries are not to blame. The All-Star first baseman, who signed a record deal this offseason, has lacked his signature power and is hitting just .225. However, he has recently started to turn things around, hitting his second home run in three games.
"This game comes and goes. I think the main thing is to be positive all the time and continue to make sure to make good adjustments," Pujols said. "Today I swung the bat pretty well, but tomorrow is a new day; you have to try to be consistent."
