Albert Pujols

A new clubhouse, new manager and new league mean nothing to Albert Pujols' attention to being a creature of habit. “I'm keeping the same routine,” the three-time National League MVP said Monday before the Angels played the visiting Dodgers at Diablo Stadium. “It's worked the same for 11 years. No reason to change.” Part of Pujols' program is to “wake up, take shower and get here” to the field, a schedule that makes him one of the first to arrive at the field. “It's not like I have to race be the first here.

Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto said his decision to fire hitting coach Mickey Hatcher and replace him with Jim Eppard could be "a spark. " Something, perhaps, like those fireworks that erupted Wednesday beyond Angel Stadium's center-field wall, where Albert Pujols deposited his second home run as an Angel in a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Dipoto said he thought "long and hard" before deciding a hitting coach switch had...

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols had a carpool buddy, a former colleague, on the commute to work Wednesday afternoon, but the two did not talk shop. “He didn't ask for any advice,” said Jim Edmonds, the former Angels and Cardinals outfielder who was a teammate of Pujols in St. Louis from 2001-2007. “I'm just trying to be a friendly face, be around him, ride to the stadium with him, give him someone to talk to.” Any connection with his Cardinals roots and his past probably can't hurt Pujols, who was one of baseball's most feared hitters for 11 years in St. Louis but has been one of baseball's least productive hitters in 2012.

MINNEAPOLIS — It was the third inning, and it was only one run, but Ervin Santana reacted in the dugout as if it was the turning point of a playoff game, thrusting both fists sharply into the air after Mike Trout's run-scoring double clanged off the left-center field wall in Target Field. The Angels right-hander, for the first time in seven starts this season, had a lead. "I was very excited," Santana said after throwing 71/3 strong innings to lead the Angels to a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.

Reporting from St. Louis -- There are certain numbers related to Albert Pujols that should concern the Angels. The first is 32, the slugger's age this season, the first in a 10-year contract. Then there's the set that shows a steady decline in production the last two years in every major offensive category. And finally, there are the figures at the back half of his $240-million contract. Starting in 2017, when he'll be 37, Pujols will make $26 million, with million-dollar raises due in each of the final four years of the deal.

Luke Hochevar, who spurned the Dodgers twice after being drafted by them in 2002 and 2005, allowed two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings Saturday to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-3 win over the Angels. Hochevar, who signed with the Royals after being selected with the first pick of the 2006 draft, struck out four and walked two and completely outpitched his counterpart, Angels right-hander Dan Haren. Haren seemed out of sync from the start, giving up consecutive one-out singles to Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur for two runs in the first inning and a leadoff double in the second to Humberto Quintero, who eventually scored on Cain's sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

Albert Pujols hit a run-scoring double and a single Monday in his first two at-bats in an Angels uniform. Pujols, the former St. Louis Cardinals star who signed a 10-year, $240-million deal with the Angels in December, followed singles by Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick with a double to left in the first inning of an exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics. Pujols then followed Kendrick's two-run home run to center in the second inning with a single to left, but he was stranded, as Torii Hunter lined out to second to end the inning.

Tempe, Ariz. -- About 200 fans, a rarity for the first day of Angels camp, gathered behind the right-field fence for Albert Pujols' first informal workout with his new team, a short session consisting of fielding grounders at first base and batting practice on a lower field at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Pujols, who had spent his 11-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals before signing a 10-year, $240-million deal with the Angels in December, reported to camp a week before position players are scheduled for their first workout.

The Angels, perhaps sensing they are about to lose free-agent pitcher C.J. Wilson to the Miami Marlins, jumped head-first into the bidding for slugger Albert Pujols on Wednesday night, according to two people who are familiar with negotiations but not authorized to speak about them publicly. It appeared Pujols would be headed back to the St. Louis Cardinals after the Marlins reportedly pulled their offer, believed to be for 10 years and more than $200 million, off the table earlier Wednesday.

The Pujols file Name: Jose Alberto Pujols Nicknames: Prince Albert, Phat Albert, The Machine Birth date: Jan. 16, 1980 Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Family: Wife, Deidre, and four children Height: 6 feet 3 Weight: 230 pounds Bats/throws: Right/right Drafted: 13th round, No. 402 overall, 1999 Honors: Nine-time All-Star (2001, 2003-10); three-time National League MVP (2005, 2008-09)

Albert Pujols has hit 446 home runs in a career that is certain to end in the Hall of Fame. But it's unlikely many felt better than the one he hit in the fifth inning Sunday at Angel Stadium. Because not only did the two-run shot account for the deciding runs in a 4-3 Angels win over the Toronto Blue Jays, silencing the boos from a fickle crowd of 37,548, but it was also Pujols' first home run as an Angel, ending a career-long drought at 27 games and 110 at-bats. "It's a relief for him. And I'm pretty sure it's a relief for us," teammate Torii Hunter said of a slump that was threatening to consume Pujols and the Angels.

The Angels figured Albert Pujols would have the bat taken out of his hands this season by opponents looking to intentionally walk or pitch around the slugger, not by their own manager. But with the first baseman mired in the worst slump of what many consider a Hall of Fame career, Mike Scioscia benched Pujols on Saturday night against the Blue Jays, the first time in 28 games he didn't write Pujols' name into the third spot. Pujols, hitting .194 with no home runs and five runs batted in, did not participate in batting practice.

My text to my friend Joe Carillio at 9:37 Wednesday night: "How bout them Angels! no hitter!" Joe's reply 10 minutes later: "Weaver or Pujols?" Joey Almeida Santa Barbara :: "El Hombre" is looking more and more like "El Mendoza. " Anthony Moretti Lomita :: Albert Pujols has turned into MLB's version of Lamar Odom, and he's not even married to a Kardashian. Gary Wosk North Hills :: Wait, the McCourts are really gone and the Dodgers actually reduced the cost to park?

After putting together a three-game home winning streak against the last-place Minnesota Twins and embracing the euphoria of a no-hitter by Jered Weaver, the Angels were brought back to a blunt reality that not everything is all right, particularly with their prize off-season acquisition, Albert Pujols. On Thursday night, Pujols' homerless streak reached 104 at-bats, one short of equaling the longest single-season drought of his 12-year career. He was 0 for 3 in a 5-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Angel Stadium, dropping his batting average to .202 with five RBIs after 26 games.

The irony isn't lost on Jeff Mathis, the notoriously weak-hitting Toronto Blue Jays reserve catcher who in a mere 17 at-bats this season has two more home runs than Albert Pujols, who now dons the No. 5 Angels jersey Mathis wore from 2005-2011. How can it not be when just about every writer, broadcaster or fan Mathis comes into contact with brings up the fact that, entering Thursday night's game against the Angels, Mathis has out-homered the $240-million slugger who has 445 career homers but none in 101 at-bats this season?

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols had a carpool buddy, a former colleague, on the commute to work Wednesday afternoon, but the two did not talk shop. “He didn't ask for any advice,” said Jim Edmonds, the former Angels and Cardinals outfielder who was a teammate of Pujols in St. Louis from 2001-2007. “I'm just trying to be a friendly face, be around him, ride to the stadium with him, give him someone to talk to.” Any connection with his Cardinals roots and his past probably can't hurt Pujols, who was one of baseball's most feared hitters for 11 years in St. Louis but has been one of baseball's least productive hitters in 2012.

The doubters are everywhere. Never mind that Albert Pujols has never been publicly linked to anything stronger than cough syrup. You just don't do what he has done and escape suspicion. Not now. Not after Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Roger Clemens and a finger-wagging Rafael Palmeiro "He hits the ball a long way and they're going to say, 'Ah-ha, I wonder.' And it is unfair," Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said. "There's no question it's unfair." Never mind that the St. Louis Cardinals slugger has never failed a drug test since mandatory testing went into effect.

There have been far more ground balls to the left side than line drives into the gaps, but Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, who took a .222 average into Thursday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins, is not overly concerned about his slow start. “Not to be cocky, but I know I can hit, it's not going to go away like that,” Pujols said, snapping his fingers. “I'm trying to stay inside the ball and not think too much. But I think that's what's been going on the last few days, I'm thinking too much.” Eight games into his 2003 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols was hitting .241.

Whatever was said between first baseman Albert Pujols and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher in the wake of apparent friction between the two Monday night remained private on Tuesday. Pujols, who in April hit .217 with no homers and four runs batted in, the worst month of his career, was perturbed at Hatcher for telling reporters what Pujols said during a closed-door hitters meeting Monday, even though Pujols' comments, meant to instill confidence in his teammates, were fairly innocuous.

Whatever was said between first baseman Albert Pujols and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher in the wake of friction that arose between them Monday night remained private Tuesday. Pujols, who in April hit .217 with no homers and four runs batted in, the worst month of his career, was perturbed at Hatcher for telling reporters what he said during a closed-door hitters meeting Monday, even though Pujols' comments, meant to instill confidence in his teammates, were fairly innocuous.