Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols hit career home run No. 500 on Tuesday, becoming the 26th member in Major League Baseball history to accomplish the prestigious feat.
Albert Pujols hits 500th home run
Pujols is the first player to join the 500 home run club since Gary Sheffield in 2009.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Pujols hit No. 499 in the top of the first inning, a three-run shot off of Washington Nationals starter Taylor Jordan that gave the Angels a comfortable early advantage. In the fifth, Pujols hit the milestone shot on a 1-2 fastball from Jordan, sending it deep over the left-center field wall to put Los Angeles ahead, 6-2.
Pujols became the first player in big league history to hit his 499th and 500th home runs in the same game, according to MLB Public Relations. He also became the third-youngest player to reach 500 homers, behind only Alex Rodriguez and Jimmie Foxx.
Gary Sheffield was the last major-leaguer to reach 500 home runs, joining the club on April 17, 2009. It took him 21 plate appearances to reach the milestone after hitting No. 499. Pujols joined Mark McGwire as the quickest player to hit his 500th homer, as McGwire also had only one plate appearance between No. 499 and the milestone.
As if joining the 500 home run club wasn't enough, Pujols' pair of homers against the Nationals also vaulted him into the major league lead in the category for 2014, surpassing Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Mark Trumbo, who entered Tuesday with seven big flies.
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