Race For The Triple Crown: Race Tightens As Pujols And Votto Both Have Big Nights

Albert Pujols did Triple Crown watchers no favors last night, as he hit his NL leading 36th homerun. Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, that was the only run their team would score in an embarrassing 8-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Joey Votto went 3-for-3 and added an RBI in last night's loss at Coors Field, giving him 99 and tightening up that race as well.

In that same game, Carlos Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a walk to keep his batting average at a robust .340 and increasing his hitting streak to 16 games.

Here are the standings heading into the last game of the crucial Rockies-Reds series this afternoon.

Now that he has taken the lead in two of the three Triple Crown categories, Carlos Gonzalez is beginning to garner the media attention that he should have had long ago. SI.com’s Cliff Corcoran has come to the conclusion that if someone should win the Triple Crown this season, that player will be Carlos Gonzalez:

The odds are against any player winning the Triple Crown, as the last 42 seasons have shown, but if that drought is going to end this year, it won’t be perpetual Triple-Crown threat Prince Albert or the slugging star of the upstart Cincinnati Reds who will do it. It will be the slender 24-year-old Venezuelan kid who was traded twice in a calendar year less than two years ago. If anyone is going to win baseball’s Triple Crown in 2010, it will be Carlos Gonzalez.

Of course, there will probably be those pundits who would call into question a CarGo Triple Crown because he plays half of his games at Coors Field.

Carlos Gonzalez took the National League RBI lead last night with his three-run shot in the first inning. He is now only three behind Albert Pujols in home runs. The national media, which just a week ago was largely ignoring Carlos in this chase, has now eliminated Pujols in its mind and narrowed it down to Votto and CarGo. While there is plenty of time left for any of the three of them to get hot, Albert is slipping and slipping fast.

Last night’s results:

Carlos Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Albert Pujols: 1-for-4
Joey Votto: 1-for-3

Here are the numbers on the race for the Triple Crown as of 9/8:

A clash between the Colorado Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds today put Carlos Gonzalez and Joey Votto center stage in the race for the Triple Crown. Carlos Gonzalez came out on top in the first of four rounds.

Tonight’s results:

Carlos Gonzalez: 3-for-5, 2 RBI
Albert Pujols: 1-for-3, 1 RBI
Joey Votto: 1-for-3

Here are the current numbers as of Sept. 6:

Carlos Gonzalez has been on fire lately, helping the Rockies sweep the Padres over the weekend. Today, he and the Rockies host Joey Votto and the Reds at Coors Field.

Last night’s results:

Carlos Gonzalez: 3-for-5
Albert Pujols: 0-for-3
Joey Votto: 0-for-4

Here are the latest numbers on the race for the Triple Crown:

The Rockies lost a horrific game last night, but with the Cardinals and Reds off, Carlos Gonzalez was still able to make up some more ground in the race for the Triple Crown. 

Last night's results:

Joey Votto: Off
Albert Pujols: Off
Carlos Gonzalez: 3-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Here are the current numbers as of Sept. 2: