Machine is back: Albert Pujols launches two homers in one inning

When spring training began, the Los Angeles Angels had only hoped Albert Pujols would be ready for game action by St. Patrick’s Day coming off offseason from surgery. From there, they would worry about his status for opening day.

Pujols ended up beating that timeframe by two nearly weeks. Then on Saturday, he cemented his opening day status by entering mid-season form with just over two weeks to spare.

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The man known as “The Machine” had a big, big day in the Angels 15-7 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. To be more accurate, he actually had a big, big inning, completing a feat that has only happened 58 times during the regular and postseason.

In the Angels eight-run third inning, Pujols book ended the rally with a pair of home runs. Pujols led off the inning with a solo shot to left field and then capped the eight-run frame with a two-run blast that cleared the left-field berm. Both homers came against the Brewers’ Willy Peralta, who allowed 10 runs (seven earned) in 2.2 innings.

Truth be told, Pujols was off to a pretty slow start offensively. He entered play Saturday hitting .196 with a single home run on the spring. However, just the fact he was taking at-bats was a big plus for the Angels. Now that he’s knocked a couple out of the ballpark, the Angels should feel confident he’ll hit the ground running on April 3.

Having Pujols’ bat in the lineup will make a big difference for the Angels too. Aside from Mike Trout, there’s no other real proven offensive entity, though the Angels obviously hope some guys will step up. Pujols smacked 40 homers last season after hitting a combined 45 the two seasons previous, so that provides more hope that he can still inflict damage.

The only test Pujols has to pass now is playing first base day in and day out. The Angels wouldn’t mind using him more as the designated hitter, but Pujols prefers being in the field. They’ll attempt to find a compromise that keeps everyone happy, healthy, and above all else, productive.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813