Ground Report

Albert Pujols named winner of the "Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Award Presented by Pepsi" for April.

Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals was selected by fans in an online vote as the winner of the "Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Award Presented by Pepsi" for April, it was announced today. The award recognizes the player who performed his best when the game was on the line. Pepsi has been the "Official Soft Drink of Major League Baseball" since 1997.

The "MLB Clutch Performer of the Month Award Presented by Pepsi" winner is selected by the fans from a list of six nominees chosen by a special editorial panel from MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball. During the first week of each month, fans can visit a microsite, pepsiclutch.mlb.com, powered by MLB.com specifically created for the Clutch Performer platform to vote for the nominee they believe was the best Clutch Performer during the previous month.

Pujols batted .345 (30-87) with seven home runs and 19 RBI during 22 games in April to lead the Cardinals to a 15-8 mark and a 3.0-game lead in the N.L. Central. The 30-year-old first baseman added six doubles and 15 runs scored while posting a .430 on-base percentage and a .655 slugging percentage. Pujols, who collected 13 RBI in his first 21 at-bats of the season, hit .348 (8-23) with runners in scoring position during the month. Albert began the season with a 4-for-5 performance, including two home runs, on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, becoming the only Cardinal ever to have more than one multi-homer game on Opening Day. On April 11th at Milwaukee, the three-time N.L. MVP recorded his second multi-homer game of the season, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in an 8-7 loss to the Brewers. Albert’s second blast was a two-run shot off Milwaukee’s closer Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning to pull the Cardinals within one run. On April 12th, Albert drove in four runs again with a home run in a 5-0 win over Houston at Busch Stadium. The eight-time N.L. All-Star went 11-for-18 over a five-game stretch from April 25-30 to close out the month. On April 25th, Pujols collected three hits, including a home run, in a 2-0 win at San Francisco. The following night against Atlanta, he doubled and scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning in another three-hit performance.

At the conclusion of the season, fans will have the opportunity to vote on the "Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Year Award Presented by Pepsi" award winner at MLB.com and the award will be presented during the Major League Baseball postseason. Last season, Andre Ethier was named the recipient of the "2009 MLB Clutch Performer of the Year Award Presented by Pepsi."