St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols avoids injury scare in Game 6 of NLCS – MLB Update
St. Louis Cardinals’ star slugger Albert Pujols suffered a colossal collision with Ryan Braun in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Miller Park in Milwaukee on Sunday, October 16, but avoided luckily avoided injury.
In the fifth inning, Pujols went down near the first-base line after he made an attacking effort to tag out Braun, who made a dived to first base in an attempt to reach safely. Braun was ruled out by the first-base umpire, but Braun was not satisfied with the decision.
The medical team rushed to the first-base line to help Pujols, who was facing difficulties in getting up. However, Pujols was back on first-base moments after being given first aid and remained there throughout the game, which the Redbirds won 12-6.
The win came in handy for the Cardinals, who became only the tenth Wild Card team in the history of Majors to qualify for the World Series. They will now play against the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic, scheduled to start from Wednesday, October 19 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.
Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa asserted that the team went mum after they saw the collision, primarily because of the fact that they lost their player for two weeks when he last suffered a collision in the regular season.
La Russa said, "I know Albert is no drama king, so when he goes down, you know something is hurting, and you fear the worst."
Braun stepped on Pujols right forearm before Marc Rzepczynski stepped on his right knee in an attempt to avoid collision. Explaining the incident after the game, Pujols stated that the feeling was not good, but as long as he is able to walk, he will play for his team.
Pujols said, "This is the postseason. Nothing hurts. You don't think about getting hurt, you think about making the play. If you get hurt, you get hurt trying something."
Braun, who was ruled out after the incident, was unsure if that was the turning point of the game. Terming it as a tough call for the umpire, Braun added that Pujols made a great play and deserves appreciation.
The Cardinals will want their first baseman ready to play in the World Series. It will be interesting to see how Pujols approached the series, which might be his last for the Redbirds.
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