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A30 sports
Dialuna 26 September 2022

Cards' Pujols hits 700th home run, 4th player to reach mark

(AP) — Albert Pujols surgent run for Pujols. This
seemed like a long shot was his 14th home run since
in early August to reach the start of August for the NL
700 home runs, still more Central-leading Cardinals,
than a dozen swings from and his 21st of the season.
the hallowed mark and his
power stroke all but gone. Roberts marveled at the im-
probability in July of Pujols
Or so it appeared. making history in late Sep-
tember.
Now showing the pop of
his youth in the final weeks "I wouldn't doubt him, but
of his career, the 42-year-old the stars seem to kind of have
slugger got there with two to align for it to play out like
long shots. this," Roberts said. "I don't
think Albert even thought it
Pujols hit his 700th home was a possibility."
run, connecting for his sec-
ond drive of the game and Now, no one needs to won-
becoming the fourth player der whether Pujols would've
in major league history to come back for a few extra
make it to the milestone as swings next year had he fin-
the St. Louis Cardinals rout- ished this season at 699 or so.
ed the Los Angeles Dodgers
11-0 Friday night. Pujols took extra pleasure in
more of sluggers, so to reach making his mark at Dodger
Pujols joined Barry Bonds that 700-home run mark, it's Stadium, where he said he
(762 homers), Hank Aaron remarkable," Roberts said. regained his joy for the game
(755) and Babe Ruth (714) in while with the Dodgers last
one of baseball's most exclu- A man wearing a blue Dodg- season.
sive clubs. ers shirt with Hideo Nomo's
No. 16 on the back snagged "It's pretty special, especially
"Don't get me wrong, I know the 700th homer ball. He was with the Dodgers fans, to do
where my places stand in this whisked under the stands as it here," Pujols said. "And,
game, but since Day One he clutched a black glove con- you get to see both sides, they
when I made my debut, I was taining the historic souvenir get to enjoy this and to do it
never about numbers, never ball to his chest. Prolonged in a Cardinals uniform is re-
about chasing numbers," Pu- negotiations went on before ally special."
jols said. "It was always about the man was escorted out of
winning championships and Dodger Stadium flanked by Pujols jogged around the bas-
tried to get better in these 10 security personnel and ment of history." es smiling all the way. After
games." into a waiting SUV. A 37-year-old Los Angeles crossing the plate and point-
Stirring up images of his man, Cesar Soriano, snagged ing his fingers skyward, Pu-
Dodgers manager Dave Rob- "Souvenirs are for the fans," dominant days as a three- No. 699. He turned the ball jols went over to greet fellow
erts gladly gushed about Pu- Pujols said. "I don't have any time NL MVP, Pujols hit over to security after being Dominican Republic and for-
jols' accomplishment. problem if they want to keep No. 699 in the third inning, told he could meet Pujols. mer Dodgers star Adrian Bel-
it. That's why the fans come then launched No. 700 in the tre. They high-fived through
"This is like the Mount Rush- here, to have a special mo- fourth. It's been a remarkable and re- the protective netting.

Roger Federer retires after teaming with Nadal in last match

(AP) — This day, this 4-6, 7-6 (2), 11-9) did not entities’ farewells to Federer. Nadal, then Tiafoe and Sock. each wearing a white ban-
match, had to come, of matter, and were all so entire- And then Federer began cry- danna, blue shirt and white
course, for Roger Federer, ly beside the point. The occa- “It’s been a perfect journey,” ing. There were plenty of shorts — emerged together
and for tennis, just as it sion was, after all, about the Federer said. “I would do it tears to go around; Nadal from a tunnel leading out to
inevitably must for every farewell itself. Or, better, the all over again.” wiped his own away, too. the black court for the last
athlete in every sport. farewells, plural: Federer’s match on Day 1 at the O2
to tennis, to the fans, to his When the match and, with it, As cascades of clapping and Arena. They remained on
Federer bid adieu Friday competitors and colleagues. his time in professional ten- yells of affection came from their feet for nearly 10 min-
night with one last contest And, naturally, each of those nis ended, Federer hugged the stands, Federer put his utes, through the pre-match
before he heads into retire- hands on his hips, his chest warmup, holding aloft phone
ment at age 41 after a su- heaving. Then he mouthed, cameras to capture the mo-
perlative career that spanned “Thank you,” while applaud- ment.
nearly a quarter-century and ing right back toward the
included 20 Grand Slam spectators who had chanted, Although this match amount-
titles and a statesman’s role. “Let’s go, Roger! Let’s go!” ed to, essentially, a glorified
He wrapped up his days as during the concluding mo- exhibition, all four doubles
a professional player with a ments of a match that lasted participants played as if they
loss in doubles alongside his more than two hours and wanted to win. That was clear
longtime rival Rafael Nadal ended at about 12:30 a.m. when Sock, a three-time ma-
for Team Europe in the Laver jor champion in doubles who
Cup against Frances Tiafoe He had said he wanted this is 29, leaped and screamed
and Jack Sock of Team World. to feel more like a party than after one particularly terrific
a funeral, and the crowd volley or when Tiafoe, 24,
The truth is that the victors, obliged, rising for a loud sent a couple of shots right at
the statistics and the score and lengthy standing ovation Federer and Nadal.
(OK, for the record it was when Federer and Nadal —