St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols won his second NL MVP award, powering past Philadelphia star Ryan Howard by a comfortable margin Monday.

Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs while playing with a sore right elbow. He was rewarded despite the Cardinals' fourth-place finish in the NL Central.

Pujols got 18 of the 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and had 369 points. The first baseman also won the award in 2005.

Howard, who led the majors with 48 homers and 146 RBIs for the World Series champion Phillies, drew 12 first-place votes and 308 points. Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun was third with 139 points.

* Reliever Jeremy Affeldt became the first of 171 free agents to agree to a contract, striking an $8 million, two-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. The 29-year-old Affeldt pitched for the Cincinnati Reds last season, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in a team-leading 74 appearances.

Soccer: Adu among trio added to roster

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan, forward Jozy Altidore and midfielder Freddy Adu were added to the U.S. roster for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Guatemala at Commerce City, Colo. Adu, a former Real Salt Lake forward, plays for AS Monaco. Guzan, a goalkeeper, plays for Aston Villa, England. Altidore, a forward, plays for Villarreal, Spain.

Horse racing: Curlin's value set at $20M

A thoroughbred appraiser in Frankfort, Ky., set Curlin's market value at $20 million Monday and recommended shares of the richest North American racehorse in history be consolidated under primary owner Jess Jackson. Disbarred lawyers William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. have been ordered to sell their 20 percent share in the Horse of the Year to to satisfy a $42 million civil judgment won by clients who say the pair bilked them in a settlement over the diet drug fen-phen.

- The Associated Press