Homer puts Pujols over 1,500 RBIs

SEATTLE -- It might have taken a little longer than he would've wanted, but Albert Pujols nonetheless joined the prestigious 1,500 RBI club on Tuesday night, with a first-inning two-run homer off Mariners lefty James Paxton.

Pujols -- with 1,501 RBIs after the homer -- joins Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez as the only current players to reach the milestone. The 34-year-old slugger is only the 52nd player in history to drive in at least 1,500 runs, and is now seven homers away from 500.

Pujols entered the two-game series at Safeco Field with a .200 batting average, zero home runs and one RBI, then took a 1-0 fastball from Paxton and hit a bullet way out to left field to give the Angels an early 2-0 lead.