Rage Against the Machine
Albert Pujols' Favorite Pitchers to Face
Albert Pujols and Brad Lidge will always be connected thanks to the monster blast in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. But in the 32 other times the two faced each other Pujols had just eight hits – only one of which was a home run. While Pujols’ home run against Lidge will be replayed for as long as they play Cardinal baseball, there were likely pitchers Pujols would have preferred to face other than Lidge when he came to bat in the ninth inning of Game 5.
Below are ten pitchers1 against whom Pujols enjoyed tremendous success.
Odalis Perez
.615/.722/1.423 6 HRs in 26 At-Bats 10 BBs/1 K
Albert Pujols became the seventh youngest player to ever hit 100 career homeruns when his laser line drive just cleared the center field wall at Dodger Stadium. The pitcher who surrendered that historic home run was Odalis Perez. It was the second home run Perez had served up to the Cardinal slugger. Pujols never tired of facing Perez, blistering the pitcher for 16 hits in just 26 at-bats. Even in the post-season, Pujols feasted on the Dodger lefty, going two for four with a solo home run in the 2004 NLDS.
After a game in 2005, where Pujols homered twice off Perez, he tried to downplay his success, “There are some guys you probably wouldn’t be able to get a hit off,” Pujols said. “Some guys you hit well. That’s a great pitcher out there. I think he threw a good game. But he made a couple mistakes to me.”
Ryan Dempster
.339/.456/.806 8 HRs in 62 At-Bats 14 BBs/2 Ks
Pujols hit more home runs off Ryan Dempster than any other pitcher during his career. But despite that success, Pujols struggled early on against Dempster, collecting only five hits in his first 20 at-bats against the Canadian righty. In fact, it was not until his 23rd plate appearance that Pujols finally homered off Dempster.
That home run came in the tenth inning of an April 22, 2007 game against the Cubs on the north side of Chicago. After the Cubs were able to score two runs off Isringhausen in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 9, Pujols came to the plate in the tenth with two on and one out. El Hombre crushed the Dempster fastball onto the street beyond Wrigley. “Woo! Did he give that thing a ride! Man, oh, man.” Mike Shannon marveled.
Pujols would have 34 more at-bats against Dempster as a Cardinal following that game winning home run. Of his 12 hits (.353 average,) seven would be home runs.
Todd Jones
.857/.900/2.286 3 HRs in 7 At-Bats 3 BBs/0 Ks
“Albert is a much better hitter than A-Rod,” Todd Jones proclaimed in an article for Sporting News in 2010 after his career was over. He should know. He faced ‘The Mang’ ten times during the regular season and only was able to get him out once. “The fact that Pujols was 6-for-7 with three homers against me has nothing to do with it,” Jones wrote in that article. “Pujols can hit it all -- inside, outside, up and in, down and away, hard, soft, you name it.”
But with all his regular season success against Jones, the only time Pujols faced him in the World Series, he grounded out with the Cardinals trailing 3-0 in the ninth of Game 2 of the 2006 World Series. “We were kidding about it near the batting cage the next day and I told him that now I owned him,” Jones recalled for his readers. “The way I looked at it, he was 0-for-his-last-1 against me.”
Dave Weathers
.550/.609/1.300 4 HRs in 20 At-Bats 3 BBs/0 Ks
Pujols was having quite the Easter Sunday when he entered into the batter’s box for his fifth plate appearance in the bottom of the ninth against the Cincinnati Reds. Prior to this at-bat he was two for three with two home runs and three RBIs. Yet despite those marvels, his Cardinals still trailed 7-6.
Ninety feet away from him, toeing the rubber, was Dave Weathers. “Weathers knows he has not fared all that well against Albert Pujols,” Cardinals announcer Wayne Hagin ominously observed as the slugger wagged his bat back and forth, waiting for the delivery. Hagin was right. The first time Pujols ever faced Weathers, he walked, the second time Pujols homered. “And if Weathers knows it, you know Albert knows it.” Pujols must have known something because he unloaded on the 1-2 Weathers offering, sending his third home run of the day into the empty-yet to be opened seats of Busch III. A walk-off winner. Happy Easter! Rejoice!
Pujols continued to have success against Weathers following that Easter greeting and punctuated that success by hitting two home runs off the Reds reliever in his last two at-bats against him.
Paul Maholm
.564/.609/.897 2 HRs 8 RBIs in 39 At-Bats 6 BBs/1 K
The first time Pujols faced the Pirate Paul Maholm, he hit a two run home run to deep center field. This was a monumental homer. The previous day (Easter Sunday - see above) against the Reds, Pujols had homered in his last three at bats.
This home run off Maholm tied him with Stan Musial (and 33 others) as the only players to hit home runs in four consecutive at bats. A home run in his next at bat would set him alone as the only player to homer in 5 consecutive at bats. Maholm kept his name out of ignominy as Pujols next at bat walloped the wall in right-center on the fly, and Pujols settled for a double instead of another record.
Pujols would continue to feast on Maholm’s pitching as Maholm only struck out Albert once in 46 plate appearances.
Kevin Slowey
1.000/1.000/4.000 2 HRs 4 RBIs in 2 At-Bats
During his last start of Spring Training in 2009, Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey struck out Pujols with the bases loaded. After the game he relished the challenge of facing hitters of Pujols’ caliber and noted that his catcher told him, “Listen, hit my glove, and we’ll get him out.”
Slowey did not have the same luck when the Twins came to visit St. Louis in June of 2009. Facing El Hombre twice, Slowley served up two home runs in Pujols’ two at-bats. “He’s very special,” Slowey said of Pujols after the game. “He’s great for the game of baseball. He’s tremendous hitter and a tremendous athlete. From everything I’ve heard, he’s a tremendous person, too. It doesn’t make it any easier to give up a couple home runs to him, but he’s very good.
Chris George
1.000/1.000/2.500 2 HRs 3 RBIs in 4 At-Bats
In the June 29, 2003 rubber match vs. the Kansas City Royals, the Cardinals pitched Brett Tomko (entered the game with a 5.73 ERA), Jimmy Journell (making his MLB debut, exiting the game with an 18.00 ERA and the nickname “Jittery Journell”), and Esteban Yan (7.69 ERA at the start of the game). They were going to need help from Pujols. Which they got. Pujols, who was 0-5 the previous night, went 4-4 against Royals starter Chris George with two homers. “I don’t think anybody wants to face Albert,” Brett Tomko told the Post after the game.
Peter Munro
Regular Season Stats: .444/.583/.778 1 HR 5 RBIs in 9 At-Bats 2 Ks/2 BBs
Postseason Stats: .800/.800/1.600 1 HR 2 RBIs in 5 At Bats 0 Ks/0 BBs
There are very few people that could possibly overshadow Albert Pujols. Jim Edmonds may be the only Cardinal to have ever done it. Think fast: What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the 2004 NLCS?
I’ll tell the truth, my answer is Jim Edmonds’ 12th inning walk-off blast in Game 6. If you asked for the second memory, it would be the Edmonds over the back catch in Game 7. Further down my list, behind Scott Rolen, and maybe even Jeff Suppan, would be Pujols. The 2004 NLCS MVP who hit .500/.563/1.000 with 4 homers and 9 RBIs over the seven game series.
But Edmonds 12th inning homer doesn’t come to pass unless Pujols homered in the first of Game 6. The Astros jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, when Lance Berkman drove in Carlos Beltran2 in the elimination game. Tony Womack led off the home half of the first with a single, advancing to second on a Larry Walker groundout to third. Pujols then came to the plate.
You could close your eyes and just listen and you would still know it was a home run. The crowd reaction helps with your deduction as well. The Cardinals were trailing 1-0 to the Astros in their first elimination game of the 2004 NL postseason. Pujols’ two run blast gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game and the crowd stood on their feet cheering until Pujols came out for a curtain call
Pujols hammered a low and away sinker from Pete Munro off the back wall of the visitor bullpen in left center. It was his sixth home run of the 2004 postseason – a new St. Louis Cardinal franchise record.
Pujols would double in the third off Munro, in what would be the last at-bat between the two.
9. Chris Capuano
.545/.625/1.121 5 HRs in 33 At-Bats 3 Ks/5 BBs (stats as a Cardinal only)
Pujols went hitless the first five times he faced Chris Capuano. Three walks, two fly outs. It reminds me of the famous joke Preacher Roe would tell abut Musial. “You want to know how to get [Stan] out? Throw four of them wide and try to pick him him off first.”
During their sixth encounter, in April of 2004, Capuano didn’t throw it wide enough and Pujols hit a three run home run. Pujols would have continued success off Capuano during his Cardinal career to the point that for a ten year period, it appeared that Capuano would be the answer to a trivia question: who surrendered Pujols’ last home run in Busch Stadium.
With two outs and nobody on, Albert Pujols came to the plate in the fifth inning against the New York Mets. The 2011 Cardinals were in the midst of an incredible comeback. One month earlier they had trailed the Braves by 10.5 games for the wildcard but as Pujols tapped the outside of the plate with his bat on September 22, the Cardinals had cut the lead to a mere game and a half.
Pujols methodically brought the bat behind his ear, as Capuano set himself on the mound. With his chin nearly resting on his bent left arm, Pujols steadied himself, waiting for the delivery.
If we had known then that this at bat would have been it for ten years, we would have stopped the workday. Our full, undivided attention was the least we could give to someone who gave so much to us.
Capuano left his first pitch over the inside of the plate. Here it comes. Watch. Pujols hit a towering fly ball to left field that carried out of the ballpark despite the cooler weather. It was his 37th and final home run of the season. For eleven years, the final home run he would ever hit during a regular season game as a St. Louis Cardinal.
10. Austin Gomber
1.000/1.000/3.000 2 HRs 5 RBIs in 3 At-Bats 0 Ks/1 BB
Austin Gomber deserves a red jacket one day. Maybe not necessarily for his 7-3 3.72 ERA as a Cardinal starter. No, his measurements should be on file for what he gave to the team after he left. Of course, he was the key piece that brought Nolan Arenado to St. Louis, but also in 2022 he served up home runs number 687 and 690 to the great Pujols.
The last one, 690, was the most memorable. The Cardinals were leading the Rockies 6-0 in the bottom of the third, when Pujols came off the bench to pinch hit for Brendan Donovan. Gomber was already the second Colorado pitcher of the day and it was going as well for him as it had for the starter Antonio Senzatela. Of the first 8 batters Gomber faced, he allowed two hits and three walks and now he had to face the mighty Pujols with the bases loaded. The crowd roared as Pujols was announced. Gomber gave them what they came for as Pujols lifted the second pitch of the at bat over the wall in left. It was his 13th career grand slam as a Cardinal - extending his franchise record.
Had only Pujols faced Gomber a few more times, who knows, maybe he would have passed Bonds.
This is a Cardinal journal, but I would be remiss if I failed to mention that as an Angel, Albert Pujols faced Jacob Turner of the Tigers and White Sox five times. The first four times Pujols hit 3 home runs and a single. The fifth time, he reached on an error. That’s a .800/.800/2.600 slash line with 3 homers in 5 ABs.
