Cardinals 16, Rangers 7
Albert Pujols homered three times to match a World Series record and had six RBIs as the St. Louis Cardinals pounded the host Texas Rangers 16-7 on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Pujols produced the fourth three-homer game in World Series history with a ninth-inning shot off Texas reliever Darren Oliver to join Babe Ruth (1926, 1928) and Reggie Jackson (1977) in the elite group.
Game 4 is Sunday at Rangers Ballpark.
Pujols, who had five hits, hit a prolific 423-foot three-run blast to left field in the sixth inning and delivered a two-run shot to center in the seventh as the Cardinals and Rangers went on a scoring spree in Game 3 after two low-scoring encounters.
Allen Craig also homered and Yadier Molina drove in four runs for the Cardinals, while Michael Young and Nelson Cruz went deep for Texas.
Pujols’ first homer increased St. Louis’ lead to 11-6. His second blast gave the Cardinals an eight-run cushion and his third shot was the 18th postseason homer of his career.
St. Louis led 5-0 before Young hit a solo homer and Cruz added a two-run shot in the fourth for Texas.
Molina doubled home two in the Cardinals’ three-run fifth and the Rangers responded with three in the bottom of the inning.
Lance Lynn (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-run relief for St. Louis.
Adrian Beltre had four hits for the Rangers.
Texas starter Matt Harrison (0-1) gave up five runs (three earned) and six hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The two teams combined to score just eight runs in the first two games in St. Louis.