After Friday night, St. Louis Cardinals' slugger Albert Pujols is two swings away from joining the exceptionally rarefied air of Major League's 700 home run club.
With one out in the sixth inning, Pujols clocked the first pitch from Cincinnati Reds reliever Raynel Espinal into the left field stands. The two-run homer tied the score 4-4. The Cards went on to win 6-5 after trailing 4-1 midway through the game.
Pujols isn't just chasing history. His timely hitting has helped the Cardinals maintain a sizable lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. The 42-year-old has 19 home runs on the season, 12 of them since Aug. 10. That's second in the majors during that period. All four of his September home runs have tied the game or given the Cardinals the lead.
On the mound, Cards reliever Ryan Helsley made his own history in saving Friday's game. He struck out the three batters he faced in the ninth inning on nine strikes. It's only the third known immaculate inning in team history.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals announced that playoff tickets are now available to purchase online (at Cardinals.com) or by phone (314-345-9000). This is for the Wild Card round and National League Division Series. Monday, the Busch Stadium box office will begin selling those seats.
When the Cards would play at home is still up in the air. It depends on whether they win the division and then their record compared to other division winners. The earliest games are the weekend of October 7th. The team says tickets details for possible NL championship games and the World Series will come at a later date.
Seats start as low as 20 dollars. Fans can also put a deposit down for season tickets next year.
