Page 15 - aruba-today-20220329

A15
sports Tuesday 29 March 2022
Welcome back: Pujols returns home, finds fit with Cardinals

By CHUCK KING and Dodgers last season,
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — With but hit .294 with a .939 OPS
a wave of his hand and a against lefties.
tip of the cap, Albert Pujols Pujols needs 21 homers to
walked back into the world become the fourth career
of the St. Louis Cardinals. major leaguer to hit 700 in
Wearing a big smile and his a career.
familiar red No. 5 jersey, Pu- "Adding someone like that
jols emerged from beyond is crazy important," first-year
the right field wall at Roger manager Oliver Marmol
Dean Stadium between said. "What he does with
the first and second innings that clubhouse outside of
of a game against Houston his skill set is unbelievable."
on Monday. The deal brings Pujols back
Cardinals pitchers, catch- to where he became
ers and coaches sitting on one of the game's most
chairs far down the line powerful and dangerous
stood to acknowledge the all-around hitters. The NL
three-time NL MVP, as did Rookie of the Year in 2001
the fans in the stands. Pu- hit at least .300 with at least
jols strolled around to the 30 homers and 100 RBIs in
St. Louis dugout on the third each of his first 10 seasons
base side, where he was Los Angeles Dodgers' Albert Pujols celebrates Chris Taylor's two-run home run in the second inning in St. Louis.
greeted with hearty hugs against the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of baseball's National League Championship Series on Oct. A wildly popular player in
and high-fives. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles. St. Louis, Pujols played his
All these years later, the Associated Press last game for the Cardinals
slugger who helped the on Oct. 28, 2011, a Game 7
Cardinals win two World Silver Slugger and finishing years of his career in St. peared to be a No. 5 Pujols win over Texas in the World
Series championship was second and 10th in MVP Louis, teaming with Molina jersey hanging in a Cardi- Series.
home. voting. to lead the Cardinals to the nals' locker. Pujols won those three MVP
The Cardinals and Pujols The 42-year-old Pujols spent 2006 and 2011 World Series Pujols doesn't swing nearly awards and made nine
agreed to a $2.5 million, part of Monday video con- titles. as fearsome a bat as he did All-Star teams with the Car-
one-year contract, giving ferencing with 39-year-old "We've only got one thing during his St. Louis hey-day, dinals before signing a 10-
him a chance to end his Cardinals catcher Yadier in mind – winning another but the Cardinals decided year, $240 million deal with
career in the place where Molina, his teammate dur- championship," Molina they have a spot for a des- the Angels in 2012. He was
it started. He would earn ing eight seasons in St. Lou- said. ignated hitter who can hit waived by the Angels last
$150,000 for World Series is. Prior to Monday's Grapre- left-handed pitching. May while hitting .198, and
MVP, $100,000 each for All- "I'm happy for him to be fruit League game, Cardi- That's one thing Pujols still signed with the Dodgers,
Star, Gold Glove, League here," Molina said. "It's go- nals center fielder Harrison does well. for whom he hit 12 homers
Championship Series and ing to be a fun year." Bader posted a photo on Pujols hit a combined .236 and drove in 38 runs in 85
MVP, and $50,000 each for Pujols played the first 11 social media of what ap- for the Los Angeles Angels games.q

Osaka makes Miami quarterfinals, says she's more grateful

By TIM REYNOLDS Before that, her most re- walkover victory in there as
AP Sports Writer cent quarterfinals trip was well.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) at Miami a year ago. "This is really one of the fun-
— Making the quarterfinals "It's really funny for me, be- nest times of my life," Osaka
at a tournament used to cause last year here I made said. "I'm really grateful."
be no big deal for Naomi it to the quarters, too," Osa- Collins, the No. 9 seed from
Osaka. It was only a shock ka said. "It was after I won the U.S., needed just over
if it didn't happen. Australia and I wasn't that an hour Monday to win her
Things are a bit different grateful. I kind of expected fourth-round match against
now. to win." No. 8 Ons Jabeur, 6-2, 6-4.
The former world No. 1 Wins these days just mean The win likely ensured that
has made it through to more, after ongoing strug- Collins is locked into the top
the quarterfinals at the Mi- gles and time away from 10 when the world rankings
ami Open — just the sec- the game to deal with her reset early next week. She Naomi Osaka of Japan serves to Alison Riske, during the Mi-
ond time she's managed mental health. Her ranking could be as high as No. 8 ami Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 28, 2022, in Miami
to advance that deep in in the world has dipped to depending on how far oth- Gardens, Fla.
any tournament over the No. 77 — it could get some- ers go in the tournament. Associated Press
last year. Osaka beat Ali- where around No. 30 if she Collins is 0-2 in previous
son Riske of the U.S. 6-3, 6-4 wins the Miami title — and matches against Osaka, the quarterfinals, surviving the top 100 if she wins her
on Monday, moving into she hasn't won a tourna- both straight-set losses on a three-hour match to beat next match against either
a round-of-eight matchup ment since that Australian hard courts, one in 2018, Lucia Bronzetti 5-7, 6-4, 7-5. No. 22 Belinda Bencic or
with Danielle Collins. Open victory last year. the other in 2019. Saville has climbed a stag- Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Osaka's only other quarter- But her stay in Miami so far "When Naomi is at the top gering 500 spots in the In the men's third round,
final appearance in the last has been nothing but hap- of her game, she's very, world rankings in about a Daniil Medvedev is now
year was at an Australian piness, with three easy wins very hard to beat," Collins month and a half; she was two wins away from re-
Open warmup tournament — all in straight sets — and said. 627th in the world in mid- claiming the No. 1 world
in Melbourne in January. the added benefit of a Daria Saville also got into February and could make ranking.q