WASHINGTON -- Heading toward the plate after the 500th homer of this career, Albert Pujols glanced ahead and saw a throng of Los Angeles Angels teammates waiting right there to greet him. Chris Doleman Jersey . He was pleased by the outpouring of support. He also had a message. "I was pretty emotional running the bases and when I ... looked at all these guys coming out, it was hard," Pujols said. "But I just told them, Weve got a game to win." Not a problem, especially with Pujols hitting like the Pujols of old. Continuing a strong stretch, the Angels first baseman became the first major leaguer to hit his 499th and 500th homers in the same game, driving in five runs Tuesday night to help Los Angeles beat the Washington Nationals 7-2. "I knew this year, it was going to happen, whether it was tonight, tomorrow, two months from now," Pujols said. "So my goal was just to prepare myself every day to try to help this organization win." The three-time NL MVP connected twice off right-hander Taylor Jordan (0-3) -- a three-run homer in the first inning and two-run drive in the fifth. Hes the 26th player in big league history to reach the milestone. Pujols also hit his 400th homer at Nationals Park. "I admire the man. I admire his ability and the way he goes about playing the game, and I have for some time," said Washington manager Matt Williams, who also played against Pujols. "I just wish hed do it against somebody else." Pujols is the first player to collect his 499th and 500th homers in the same game, according to STATS. About three months past his 34th birthday, hes also the third-youngest to get to 500; Alex Rodriguez and Jimmie Foxx were 32. Making a recent surge, Pujols has eight homers in the past 13 games. He leads the Angels with 19 RBIs. "Thats the Albert Im used to seeing," Angels outfielder Mike Trout said. "Full, healthy, 100 per cent healthy." The 500th homer went to left-centre field at Nationals Park, on an 89 mph pitch with the count at 1-2. The ball was grabbed -- and later given to Pujols -- by a man who identified himself as Thomas Sherrill, a 29-year-old Air Force staff sergeant from Pomona, Calif. "That pitch was supposed to be low and away," Jordan said, "and I guess I tried too hard to get it there." Pujols clapped his hands together a few strides before trotting home, then pointed both index fingers to the sky. Fans gave Pujols a partial standing ovation, and he acknowledged it by tipping his red batting helmet as he approached the dugout. After heading down the steps, he came back out for a curtain call. "Thats something you tell your kids when you get older. I dont know the next guy whos going to hit 500," said Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs (2-0), who gave up two runs in seven innings. "Nobody knows how to react. You dont see it too much." Teammates said that Pujols told shortstop Erick Aybar before the game he was going to hit two homers. "Alberts Albert. If he tells you something, hes going to do it," Trout said. "Im not surprised he said that, because Ive seen it before. Hes told me, Im going deep tonight." Jordan allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings. Washington entered the game with a majors-worst 22 errors and third baseman Anthony Rendon added two more. After a couple of down-for-him years with the Angels following 11 transcendent seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols appears ready to reclaim his spot among the games elite hitters. He homered Friday and Saturday at Detroit to lift his total to 498, and now hes reached the round number of 500 -- a total that remains hallowed despite losing lustre lately because so many players surpassed it. Of the 26 members of the 500-homer club, 11 reached the mark in the last 15 years, according to STATS. Gary Sheffield was the previous player to do it, hitting No. 500 in April 2009. "You dont see 500, obviously, every night," Pujols said. "Its been a great career." The Cardinals selected him in the 13th round of the 1999 draft, with the 402nd overall selection -- a steal if ever there was one. Pujols won a batting title in 2003, National League MVP awards in 2005, 2008 and 2009, and World Series titles with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011. Pujols was the first player to hit 30 homers in each of his first 12 seasons and the second -- after Al Simmons in 1924-34 -- to reach 100 RBIs in each of his first 10. A nine-time All-Star, Pujols hit 455 homers with the Cardinals. After his decade-plus of excellence in St. Louis, Pujols signed a 10-year deal worth $240 million with the Angels following the 2011 season. Almost immediately, the 6-foot-3 slugger appeared to be slowing down. He hit .285 with 30 homers in 2012 -- impressive numbers for most players, but career lows at that point for Pujols. Things got even worse in 2013. Injuries limited Pujols to 99 games, and he was sidelined from July 26 on. He ended up hitting .258 with 17 homers and 64 RBIs. But not surprisingly, Pujols bat did not stay quiet for long. Sitting at a news conference with the balls he hit over the fence Tuesday resting near his left elbow, Pujols smiled as he said: "Now weve got to start on the next milestone, I guess." NOTES: Washington RHP Doug Fister threw 44 pitches in three innings at extended spring training in Florida on Tuesday. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia on Pujols defence this season: "Hes played first base at the Gold Glove-caliber that you would expect. Well have to monitor it; if he needs a day to refresh, well give it to him." Randy Moss Jersey . Watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 9pm et/6pm pt. Serge Ibaka returned to the Thunder lineup from a calf injury that was supposed to sideline him for the remainder of the postseason and the results were sparkling. Cris Carter Jersey . Particularly when speaking in the stadium of Tuesdays opponent: Manchester City. "Maybe they dont fear us as before," Pique said on Monday, "because in the last two years we didnt win the Champions League. http://www.vikingssale.com/Vikings-Brett-Favre-Draft-Jersey/ ." Those traits were clear to the 24,071 at Olympic Stadium on Saturday as the Impact dominated the scoring chances but settled for a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls in a battle of still-winless Major League Soccer teams. MILAN, Italy -- A last-minute goal saw Inter Milan fall to a 2-1 defeat at home to Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday and lose pace in the race for a European place. Giacomo Bonaventura scored his second goal of the match with 10 seconds remaining after Inter had hit the woodwork three times in an entertaining second half. Mauro Icardi had cancelled out Bonaventuras goal within 60 seconds in the first half. Inter remained fifth and is level on points with Parma, which earlier drew 1-1 against Genoa and has a game in hand. Hellas Veronas European bid was dented again as it lost 5-0 at Sampdoria. Elsewhere, Udinese beat Sassuolo 1-0 and Bologna won a relegation fight against Cagliari by the same score. Fourth-placed Fiorentina, which is a point ahead of Inter and Parma, visits Napoli later. Also Sunday, Lazio hosts AC Milan and leader Juventus visits bottom club Catania. Atalanta started the brighter at San Siro and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic pulled off several good saves, while German Denis headed Bonaventuras cross off the crossbar. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 35th minute as Maxi Moralez rolled the ball across for Bonaventura to finish off a rapid counterattack. But Inter was immediately level when Icardi latched onto Fredy Guarins through ball and cut across Mario Yepes before firing into the bottom left corner. To celebrate he held up a T-shirt dedicated to his girlfriend Wanda Nera, the ex-wife of former Sampdoria teammate Maxi Lopez. Inter should have sealed the match in the second half but Guarin smashed a shot off the crossbar and Rodrigo Palacioo sent a glancing header onto the left upright. John Randle Jersey. Both sides could have snatched the win. Inters Jonathan cleared off the line three minutes from time before chipping the ball off the underside of the crossbar at the other end. Atalanta secured the result when Bonaventura was left completely unmarked at the far post to head a free kick between Handanovics legs. Parma maintained its charge toward a European spot as it extended its club record unbeaten run to 17 matches. Genoa took the lead against the run of play in the 21st when Isaac Cofie drilled Moussa Konates through ball across Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante. Parma levelled 10 minutes later. Genoa failed to deal properly with a free kick and Ezequiel Schelotto fired a powerful shot into the top corner. Verona looked on course for a European spot at the turn of the year but has only won one of its past 11 games and fell to a third consecutive loss. Sampdoria took the lead in the fourth minute when Renans effort crashed off the bottom of the right post and Gianluca Sansone was on hand for the tap in. Renan then got on the scoresheet himself before a double for Roberto Soriano. Angelo Palombo added the fifth. At Udinese, captain Antonio Di Natale scored his 10th goal of the season to ensure he reached double figures in goals for the eighth consecutive season. It was a good way to mark his 324th league appearance for Udinese -- a new club record. Di Natale could have had a second but kicked up a chunk of turf as he ballooned a penalty over the bar. Sassuolo also missed a penalty kick. 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