WASHINGTON —
On a day Major League Baseball announced the reserves for the All-Star game, it was Albert Pujols — a 41-year-old future Hall of Famer signed two months ago as a platoon player six years removed from his 10th and likely final All-Star appearance — delivering the hit the Dodgers needed the most in their 5-1 matinee win Sunday over the Washington Nationals.
The score was tied when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summoned Pujols, usually limited to at-bats opposite left-handers, to pinch-hit against right-hander Joe Ross. To that point, Ross was dealing, having just recorded his 11th strikeout.