http://tinyurl.com/2fftve Pujols in longest dry spell By Rick Hummel ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 07/06/2007 Albert Pujols hasn't homered in 19 games, which represents his longest dry spell as a Cardinal. "I didn't know that," hitting coach Hal McRae said, "until he told me he had 16 the other night. He knows." But he says he doesn't care. Pujols, who has walked 21 times and had 21 hits — 17 of them singles — since his last homer June 14 at Kansas City, said Thursday night, "I don't care what my home runs are. I care about my batting average." Since June 14, Pujols, even though hitless Thursday night, has gone 21 for 61 (.344) as his batting average has risen to .312. "I'm going to get more opportunities to drive in guys than I will to hit the ball out of the park," said Pujols, who has averaged 42 home runs for his first six seasons but had 16 halfway through this one. "Come to me in September and they'll be there," Pujols said. "You do the math. I'm not worried about it." Through 63 games, Pujols, admittedly impatient, had walked only 31 times. In the next 19, he was drawing better than a walk a game as pitchers have been loathe to face him, especially with Jim Edmonds, who had been hitting fourth, out with a back ailment. "Why am I going to force it?" Pujols asked. "Probably why I haven't hit any home runs is because I'm not chasing balls out of the strike zone like I was chasing earlier. I'm taking what they give me and letting the guys behind me drive me in. "When (the home runs) come, they come in bunches. You could hit five in one week (Pujols had five from June 6 to 14) and then you hit three, and all of a sudden you have 25 home runs and you've made up for the time when you didn't get one. "Do I want to hit a home run so that I can end this streak? Of course I want to. But it's not like I'm coming in here and I'm saying, 'Oh, man, I need to hit one out. What can I do?' "I care about driving guys home. If you had told me I've got 18 games without getting an RBI, then I'd be ticked. There are just two things I'm concerned about — striking out and not driving the guys home." Pujols, who has fanned only 35 times in 298 at-bats, carried a six-game hitting streak into Thursday's game, going 11 for 20 (.550) in the process. He was hitless in three at-bats Thursday. "I'm building my swing and feeling better at the plate," Pujols said. "Later, when I get hot, watch out." Pujols seems almost certain to hit .300 for the seventh consecutive season and is a tad better than halfway to his seventh straight 30-homer season. But whether he will score and drive in 100 runs for the seventh year in a row is in some jeopardy. He was a bit below par with 49 runs in 82 games and just above with 51 RBIs. "I've got a pretty good chance to get 100," Pujols said. "The second half has always been the best of my career, so we'll see what the second half brings." Before this season, Pujols had hit .340 after the All-Star break and .325 before, although he's had more home runs and RBIs before the break in his first six seasons. Manager Tony La Russa said he would prefer the batting average to the home runs. "He's starting to stroke the ball beautifully," La Russa said. "In his rookie year (2001), he was starting to struggle a little. (Mark McGwire) had gotten hurt and Albert made some comment that he had to hit more home runs. "I asked him, 'Which do you think wins more games? Hitting .300 or hitting 30 home runs?' He said, 'Hitting 30 home runs.' I said, 'That's the wrong answer. Hitting .300 means you've started rallies, you've kept them going and finished them.' "If he hits .300 this year, he'll hit 30 home runs." Pujols said he remembered that conversation well. "I was playing this (video) golf game when he came up to me," Pujols said. "When I gave him my answer, he said that I'd made a rookie mistake." [email protected] | 314-340-8196 --

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