Albert Pujols home runs vs. Cubs from Aardsma to Zambrano

When Albert Pujols hit that two-run game-winner in the eighth inning to beat the Cubs 2-0 Sunday, it was his 59th career home run against the 33rd different Cubs pitcher (Brandon Hughes) — in what will be his final plate appearance against the nemesis Cubs, if he keeps his promise to retire at the end of the season.

The Cardinals great has hit more home runs against the Cubs than any other team except the Astros (62).

And you will find ex-Cubs occupying each of the top three spots of Pujols’ most-victimized pitchers — albeit, short-time Cub Wade Miller (No. 2 on the list) having allowed all six while he pitched for the Astros.

“If you want to know how to give up a home run to Albert Pujols, I can pretty much write a book about it,” said former Cubs All-Star Ryan Dempster, who gave up seven of his Pujols-list-topping eight as a Cub — and the eighth during a win for the Red Sox against the Angels in Dempster’s final season, 2013.

Former teammate Carlos Zambrano could help write one of the chapters — tied for third on the Pujols victim list with five allowed.

What follows is every home run Pujols hit against the Cubs in his career, including the pitcher and game outcome — a ledger that includes three each off Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Greg Maddux, 35 solo home runs, only one grand slam, six homers that came in a pair of three-homer games and a mere two walkoff blasts.

The walkoffs came in back-to-back games in June 2011, both in extra innings — the second coming in the 10th inning off Rodrigo Lopez after ex-Cub Ryan Theriot had tied it in the ninth with a double off Carlos Marmol.

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That 3-2 became better remembered for starter Zambrano’s postgame rant about Marmol’s pitch choice and execution against Theriot and this eventual summation of his Cubs: “We stinks.”

The grand slam was against rookie Rule 5 draft pick David Patton in April 2009, on the first pitch after a mound visit to discuss Patton having loaded the bases with a pair of walks after a leadoff single — a mammoth shot to left he said he’d hit as hard as he can hit a ball.

“You can’t walk people in front of Pujols,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “You might be able to do that in Modesto, but over here, I would suggest not. He hit that ball, I’ll tell you.”

The complete list (career HR number in parentheses), with Cubs game outcome (bold face indicates multi-HR game):

(12) May 12, 2001, in St. Louis, vs. Kyle Farnsworth, 8th inn. (solo) — L, 5-2
(13) May 13, 2001, in St. Louis, vs. Felix Heredia, 7th inn. (3-run) — L, 13-4
(25) July 28, 2001, in Chicago, vs. Kerry Wood, 5th inn. (solo) — L, 7-4
(53) June 23, 2002, in Chicago, vs. Kerry Wood, 8th inn. (2-run) — W, 8-3
(68) Aug. 30, 2002, in Chicago, vs. Carlos Zambrano, 1st inn. (3-run) — L, 6-3
(69) Aug. 31, 2002, in Chicago, vs. Mark Prior, 5th inn. (solo) — L, 8-1
(81) May 17, 2003, in St. Louis, vs. Mark Prior, 8th inn. (solo) — W, 2-1
(82) May 19, 2003, in St. Louis, vs. Kyle Farnsworth, 8th inn. (solo) — L, 2-0
(96) July 4, 2003, in Chicago, vs. Kerry Wood, 1st inn. (solo) — L, 11-8
(97) July 5, 2003, in Chicago, vs. Shawn Estes, 2nd inn. (3-run) — W, 6-5
(106) Aug. 26, 2003, in St. Louis, vs. Mark Prior, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 7-4
(122) May 3, 2004, in St. Louis, vs. Greg Maddux, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 7-3
(125) May 21, 2004, in Chicago, vs. Sergio Mitre, 5th inn. (2-run) — L, 7-6
(126) May 23, 2004, in Chicago, vs. Matt Clement, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 4-3
(134) June 23, 2004, in St. Louis, vs. Glendon Rusch, 3rd inn. (3-run) — L, 10-9
(136) July 9, 2004, in St. Louis, vs. Greg Maddux, 6th inn. (solo) — L, 6-1
(139) July 20, 2004, in Chicago, vs. Glendon Rusch, 3rd inn. (solo) — L, 11-8
(140) July 20, 2004, in Chicago, vs. Kyle Farnsworth, 7th inn. (solo) — (L, 11-8)
(141) July 20, 2004, in Chicago, vs. LaTroy Hawkins, 9th inn. (2-run) — (L, 11-8)
(164) April 20, 2005, in St. Louis, vs. Carlos Zambrano, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 3-1
(192) Aug. 11, 2005, in Chicago, vs. Greg Maddux, 1st inn. (2-run) — W, 11-4
(193) Aug. 13, 2005, in Chicago, vs. Jerome Williams, 3rd inn. (2-run) — L, 5-2
(196) Sept. 5, 2005, in St. Louis, vs. Roberto Novoa, 8th inn. (3-run) — L, 6-4
(197) Sept. 7, 2005, in St. Louis, vs. Michael Wuertz, 7th inn. (solo) — W, 2-1
(212) April 21, 2006, in St. Louis, vs. Jerome Williams, 1st inn. (2-run) — L, 9-3
(237) Aug. 18, 2006, in Chicago, vs. David Aardsma, 7th inn. (2-run) — L, 11-3
(255) April 22, 2007, in Chicago, vs. Ryan Dempster, 10th inn. (3-run) — L, 12-9
(256) April 28, 2007, in St. Louis, vs. Carlos Zambrano, 7th inn. (solo) — W, 8-1
(273) July 26, 2007, in St. Louis, vs. Billy Petrick, 6th inn. (3-run) — L, 11-1
(276) Aug. 17, 2007, in Chicago, vs. Rich Hill, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 2-1
(277) Aug. 18, 2007, in Chicago, vs. Bob Howry, 8th inn. (solo) — W, 5-3
(278) Aug. 19, 2007, in Chicago, vs. Ted Lilly, 5th inn. (solo) — L, 6-4
(281) Sept. 14, 2007, in St. Louis, vs. Carlos Zambrano, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 5-3
(288) May 3, 2008, in St. Louis, vs. Ted Lilly, 6th inn. (solo) — W, 9-3
(300) July 4, 2008, in St. Louis, vs. Bob Howry, 8th inn. (solo) — W, 2-1
(306) Aug. 9, 2008, in Chicago, vs. Carlos Zambrano, 3rd inn. (solo) — L, 12-3
(315) Sept. 9, 2008, in St. Louis, vs. Ryan Dempster, 6th inn. (3-run) — L, 4-3
(326) April 25, 2009, in St. Louis, vs. David Patton, 7th inn. (grand slam) — L, 8-2
(333) May 21, 2009, in St. Louis, vs. Sean Marshall, 1st inn. (solo) — L, 3-1
(351) July 10, 2009, in Chicago, vs. Rich Harden, 5th inn. (solo) — L, 8-3
(376) May 30, 2010, in Chicago, vs. Ryan Dempster, 1st inn. (solo) — L, 9-1
(377) May 30, 2010, in Chicago, vs. Ryan Dempster, 5th inn. (2-run — (L, 9-1)
(378) May 30, 2010, in Chicago, vs. John Grabow, 9th inn (solo) — (L, 9-1)
(389) July 25, 2010, in Chicago, vs. Ryan Dempster, 6th inn. (solo) — L, 4-3
(395) Aug. 13, 2010, in St. Louis, vs. Thomas Diamond, 1st inn. (solo) — L, 6-3
(396) Aug. 15, 2010, in St. Louis, vs. Ryan Dempster, 1st inn. (solo) — W, 9-7
(408) Sept. 26, 2010, in Chicago, vs. Jeff Samardzija, 1st inn. (3-run) — L, 8-7
(418) June 3, 2011, in St. Louis, vs. Ryan Dempster, 5th inn. (2-run) — L, 6-1
(419) June 4, 2011, in St. Louis, vs. Randy Wells, 4th inn. (2-run) — L, 5-4
(420) June 4, 2011, in St. Louis, vs. Jeff Samardzija, 12th inn. (solo) — (L, 5-4)
(421) June 5, 2011, in St. Louis, vs. Rodrigo Lopez, 10th inn. (solo) — L, 3-2
(432) July 30, 2011, in Chicago, vs. Rodrigo Lopez, 1st inn. (solo) — L, 13-5
(439) Aug. 21, 2011, in Chicago, vs. Rodrigo Lopez, 5th inn. (solo) — L, 6-2
(484)* June 4, 2013, in Anaheim, vs. Carlos Villanueva, 8th inn. (2-run) — L, 4-3
(489)* July 9, 2013, in Chicago, vs. Travis Wood, 7th inn. (2-run) — W, 7-2
(490)* July 10, 2013, in Chicago, vs. Jeff Samardzija, 5th inn. (2-run) — L, 13-2
(635)* April 12, 2019, in Chicago, vs. Cole Hamels, 4th inn. (solo) — W, 5-1
(693) Aug. 22, 2022, in Chicago, vs. Drew Smyly, 7th inn. (solo) — L, 1-0
(695) Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Louis, vs. Brandon Hughes, 8th (2-run) — L, 2-0