Texas Rangers Fall in Game 3 of World Series to St. Louis 16-7

The Texas Rangers fell in Game 3 of the World Series to St. Louis 16-7 to give the Cardinals a 2-1 series lead.

It may as well been called the Albert Pujols show as the man plain and simply etched is name in baseball history.

The outburst by the three-time MVP came just a day after being questioned by the media for not staying around to talk about his Game 2 error and the teams loss.

He had been 0 for 6 in the first two games, but busted out in Game 3 to become the third player in Major League history to hit three home runs in a World Series game. Pujols joined Babe Ruth, who did it in 1926 and gain in 1928, and Reggie Jackson with did in with the Yankees in 1977.

His six RBIs tied Robby Richardson’s 1960 World Series performance and Hideki Matsui’s in 2009.

Pujols also matched the World Series record for hits in a game set by Paul Molitorin 1982.

The combined 22 runs between St. Louis and Texas was the most runs scored in a World Series game ever.

The Red Birds struck first getting an early first inning run Allen Craig of Rangers starting pitcher Matt Harrison. The Rangers on the flip side went three up three down in the first inning against Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse.

The score remained 1-0 in St. Louis’s favor until the top of the 4^th inning when the Cards got after Matt Harrison.

Albert Pujols led of the inning with a single to left, but was out on a fielder’s choice to shortstop hit by Matt Holiday. Lance Berkman followed that up with a single to right field that put runners on 1^st and 2^nd with one out. The hot-handed David Freese was next to the plate, doubling to right driving in Holliday and moving Berkman to third.

Yadier Molina was then intestinally walked to load the bases and give the force out at home plate. Jon Jay hit a chopper up the line to first baseman Mike Napoli who fielded the ball but made an errant throw to home plate allowing Berkman and Freese to score and Molina to move to third making the score 4-0 St. Louis.

The damage in the inning wasn’t over though as Ryan Theriot singled to shallow left field scoring Molina and making the score 5-0 Red Birds. Manager Ron Washington elected to go to the bullpen in the inning removing Harrison in favor of Scott Feldman.

The Rangers made it interesting in the bottom of the 4^th as Michael Young led of the inning with a solo shot. Adrian Beltre singled followed by Nelson Cruz who hit a blast of the right field wall to cut the score to 5-3 St. Louis. Kyle Lohse was then pulled from the game knocking both starting pitchers out of the game by the 4^th inning.

The Cardinals came right back scoring 3 in the top of the 5^th to make it 8-3, but the Rangers closed the gap once again scoring 3 themselves in the bottom of the 5^th to make it 8-6.

Pujols hit his first of three homes runs in the St. Louis Cardinals never looked back from that moment.

Game 4 will be played Sunday evening from the Ball Park in Arlington with first pitch scheduled for 7:05. Derek Holland will go for the Rangers opposite the Cardinals Edwin Jackson.

For a complete play by play click here, and for a complete box score click here.