When Albert Pujols went 4-for-4 against the Brewers Aug. 11, it was the 33rd time he had rapped four or more hits in a regular-season game but only the second time he had accomplished the feat against Milwaukee.
Stan Musial holds the franchise record, with 67 regular-season games of four or more hits.
Pujols has four hits or more in three games this season. (Updated Oct. 13: Pujols has four hits or more in seven regular-season games in 2011 and has achieved the feat 37 times in his career. On Sept. 1, he got four hits against the Brewers for the third time in his career.) ”You can’t hold a potential Triple Crown guy down,” Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder told MLB.com of Pujols. “You can contain him, but at some point he’s going to feel good and beat you. That’s what he does.”
The only other time Pujols had four hits in a game against the Brewers was June 18, 2003. The Cardinals first baseman went 4-for-5 with a walk in St. Louis’ 9-1 victory at Milwaukee, raising his batting average to .386. Pujols had three singles. He also doubled off reliever Brooks Kieschnick, the former Cubs outfielder who was attempting to revive his big-league career as a pitcher. Boxscore
“Four-for-five again?” Blue Jays first baseman Carlos Delgado said to MLB.com while watching a video highlight of Pujols’ performance on a scoreboard. “How do you pitch to him?”
Pujols has had four hits in a game in each of his big-league seasons except 2001 and 2005.
He has had his most four-hit games against the Pirates (6), Astros (4), Reds (4), Royals (3) and Tigers (3).
Batting cleanup, Pujols had his first four-hit game as a Cardinal Sept. 4, 2002, against the Reds. In a 10-5 Cardinals victory at St. Louis, Pujols was 4-for-5 (three singles and a double). Boxscore
Pujols never has had a four-hit game in 47 postseason games. (Updated Oct. 13: Pujols had four hits against the Phillies in Game 3 of the 2011 NL Division Series Boxscore and four hits against the Brewers in Game 2 of the 2011 NL Championship Series Boxscore).
His most impressive game with four hits or more may have been July 20, 2004, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Pujols went 5-for-5 with 5 RBI in the Cardinals’ 11-8 victory over the Cubs. Pujols clubbed a single, double and three home runs, including a two-run blast in the ninth off LaTroy Hawkins, snapping an 8-8 tie. Boxscore
“It was the first time I’ve hit three home runs and it came at the right time,” Pujols told the Associated Press after the game. “It’s one of those days you never forget.”
Said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa: “The best thing about Albert in a very long list of great things is that he plays the game to win. That’s what I admire most. Nothing else is a close second.”
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