Albert Pujols upsets Phillies' Kyle Schwarber in Home Run Derby
Schwarber trailed by three going into the one-minute bonus time.
LOS ANGELES (WPVI) -- Eighth-seed Albert Pujols pulled off the biggest surprise of the first round of Monday night's Home Run Derby, defeating No. 1 seed Kyle Schwarber in overtime.
Pujols had a total of 20 homers, including seven in the extra round. None of his drives went over 440 feet at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, but he did enough to advance with an average of 406 feet per homer.
Pujols, who played for the Dodgers part of last season, was the sentimental favorite among the players and fans. After the three-minute regulation session, Pujols was swarmed by cheering All-Stars along the third-base line.
"It is pretty awesome to see the young generation and all that talent. This is for you guys," Pujols said after he was done. "It is pretty awesome to come back here one last time."
Pujols, sure that Schwarber would top his regulation total of 13, told ESPN that he had already given away his batting gloves before having to retrieve them for OT.
It is the fifth straight time the top seed has been knocked off in the opening round.
Schwarber trailed by three going into the one-minute bonus time. He tied it with a 385-foot homer with 15 seconds remaining but couldn't get another one over the fence to force a swing-off.
Schwarber had six in OT. The Phillies' slugger had five go over 440 feet and averaged 419 feet. He finished with 19.
Washington's Juan Soto went on to defeat Seattle's Julio Rodriguez 19-18 in the final to capture the Home Run Derby title.
