In front of a crowd that wanted Albert Pujols to win, Prince Fielder emerged victorious after defeating Nelson Cruz 6 to 5 in the finals of the 2009 Home Run Derby.
Fielder, who plays first base for the Milwaukee Brewers, had three outs to spare in the final round when he smacked his 6th long ball to center field.
Ryan Howard, who grew up in St. Louis, was also a crowd favorite at Busch Stadium.
After the derby, Fielder said, “It’s what I expected. This is Albert’s stadium and Ryan is from here. I was just happy I was able to put on a show and I’m glad I won.”
Albert Pujols made it to the second round after a three-player swing-off against Joe Mauer and Carlos Pena. However, he only hit six home runs in the second round, which was not enough for him to advance to the finals.
“I wish I would have put a better show for our fans,” said Pujols. “I was nervous a little bit.”
Adrian Gonzalez hit just two long balls while Brandon Inge failed to hit one out of the park.
Photo Source: www.espn.com
