Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols used a big game against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday to move past Frank Robinson for sole possession of 10th place on MLB's all-time list for extra-base hits, per MLB Stat of the Day on Twitter.
Pujols entered the game just one shy of Robinson (1,186) with 1,185 career extra-base hits, and the 36-year-old slugger didn't waste any time getting started, smashing a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning off White Sox starting pitcher Jacob Turner.
Although Turner did settle down for the next few frames, Pujols struck again with another two-run homer in his second at-bat, giving the Angels a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning.
The advantage eventually grew to 8-1 in the fifth, with the Angels chasing Turner behind Pujols' pair of homers in addition to a trio of RBI doubles.
Sunday's outburst, while impressive, also happened to mark Pujols' first extra-base hit since July 3 and his first home run since July 2.
Though his 17 homers and 64 RBI put him on pace to finish the year with 30 and 114, respectively, his rate stats are far below career norms for a fourth consecutive season.
Pujols' current .429 slugging percentage would be the worst of his 16-year career, while his .248 batting average would be his second-worst, and his .325 on-base percentage would be third-worst.
Of course, he still has enough power and name recognition to stick in the middle of a weak Angels lineup, ensuring that he'll continue to climb a number of all-time lists in the coming years.
Next up on the all-time extra-base hits list are ninth-place Lou Gehrig (1,190) and seventh-place Ken Griffey Jr. and Rafael Palmeiro (1,192 apiece)—all three of whom will presumably be passed by Pujols within the next few weeks.
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