Albert Pujols hits first home run as Angel, then adds another
Albert Pujols belted his first home run as an Angel on Wednesday, driving a pitch from Chicago White Sox starter Chris Sale over the left-field wall for a three-run shot at Camelback Ranch.
Pujols added a second homer in the fifth inning over the center-field wall.
Pujols, a $240-million free-agent pickup in the offseason who hit 445 homers for the St. Louis Cardinals, followed consecutive singles by Peter Bourjos, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick with the blast that gave the Angels a 4-2 lead in the third inning.
The home run cleared the Angels’ bullpen in left field, landing in a pile of small rocks where a young fan gathered the ball.
The blast came just minutes after Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana suffered a bruised right shoulder when he was struck by an Alexei Ramirez line drive. Santana collected the ball and shuffled it to Pujols at first for the out.
Pujols began the day with a .429 batting average (6 for 14), and was promptly hit by a pitch by Sale in his first at-bat.
His second homer came on an 0-1 pitch from White Sox reliever Anthony Carter, who had just surrendered a two-run homer to Howie Kendrick.
Pujols is now batting .500 with eight runs batted in and six runs scored in seven spring games.
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