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Pujols Receives Standing Ovation, Sanchez and Mazara Hit Monster HRs

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Friday night in Major League Baseball was all about returns. It was the return of Albert Pujols to the city where he became a future Hall of Famer for the Cardinals. The return of the Pujols-Molina friendship. The return of Aaron Judge to the Yankees lineup. And the return of Dallas Keuchel to the big leagues, as he made his Braves debut. Of course, there were also a couple of things that won’t be returning: The baseballs hit by the Yankees’ Gary Sanchez and the Rangers’ Nomar Mazara, which traveled a combined 986 feet.

The standing ovation Pujols got was good enough, but how about these hugs from old friend Yadier Molina? The ones before the game weren’t enough, so then they shared another one in front 45,000 people.

Aaron Judge batting leadoff? Guess the Yankees really couldn’t wait to see the man bat again.

Dallas Keuchel wasn’t dominant or anything in his Braves debut, but he still might be the piece that ends up pushing Atlanta over the top in the National League East.

Not to be outdone by the return of Giancarlo Stanton and Judge this week, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez reminded everyone that he can still hit a baseball really, really far too.

But even Sanchez’s prodigious blast wasn’t as long as this mammoth shot by the Rangers’ Nomar Mazara. 505 feet is one of the longest in the Statcast era.

Written by GMS staff report

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