ST. LOUIS — All eyes were on Albert Pujols Tuesday night. He's just three homeruns away from reaching 700 career homers before retirement. Fans were hoping to see 698 Tuesday, but they’ll have to wait a little longer.
A familiar drum beat outside of Busch Stadium met a sea of red.
"I'm excited,” fan Karen Gray said.
There's no doubt, there's an energy in the air.
"[On a scale of] 1 to 10, I think it's a 10,” Carla Bakai added.
Much of that is because of a name that is on the top of so many Cardinal fans minds right now.
"Everybody come to see Albert. Everybody come to see Albert,” LeBryan Harris said.
"We came to see Fredbird and Albert,” another group of fans cheered.
"Go Albert,” another fan said while heading into the stadium.
Cardinals legend Albert Pujols is getting dangerously close to his goal of 700 homeruns before he calls it a career. Number 697 came Sunday, fueling hope for funs who poured out Tuesday.
"He can do it. He can do it. Cardinal Nation. We’re believers,” Harris said.
As we inch closer to the possibility, time is running out.
"I'm sad because he's retiring,” Carla Bakai said.
But the future Hall of Famer has certainly made his mark.
"It's great that he came back for his last year in St. Louis because he was an icon before he left,” Laszlo Bakai said.
An icon whose fans will continue to cheer him on.
"He's been doing it all this time so why not keep going?" Yolanda Fortson said in reference to the chase for 700.
"Were going to get it. Go Albert,” more fans cheered.
There are now nine regular season games left at home. Fans will keep cheering, especially this weekend when the Pujols Bobblehead Giveaway will happen on Sunday.