If I've learned one thing in all of my years watching the National League Central, it's one simple rule; do not, under any circumstances, insult Albert Pujols. Last night, while holding a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning, Carlos Villanueva celebrated in the Cardinals' faces last night after escaping a bases-loaded jam with a 3-1 lead in the seventh. The Cardinals responded with a season-saving four-run rally in the ninth. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

"I guess he did us a favor. He woke up a sleeping giant, obviously," said first baseman Albert Pujols.

[...]

Rather than coolly walk to his dugout, Villanueva struck a flex pose that did not escape Pujols' notice. Villanueva further inflamed the situation, according to Pujols and several teammates, by pointing and screaming at the home dugout. Pujols quickly rose from a crouch in the on-deck circle and responded to Villanueva, who replied by cursing Pujols in Spanish.

Pujols started the resulting eighth-inning rally with a double and as a result of the comeback, the Cardinals are still 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the wild-card race instead of the 5 1/2 game deficit a loss would've given them. Given the two teams' schedules the Brewers probably still have the upper hand in the race, but it feels like they may have awoken the sleeping giant last night. Giving Albert Pujols more determination to destroy you is always a bad idea.