Slumpbuster! Albert Pujols Goes Berserk, Hits Three Homers in 16-7 World Series Rout

Looks like somebody enjoyed a slump buster Friday night.

After grounding out in the first inning, Albert Pujols stepped up to the plate in the fourth and finally got a hit, nailing a single to shallow left field to finally bust out of an 0-7 World Series rut against the Texas Rangers Saturday night. The following inning, he hit another single to just about the same spot. With two on and nobody out in the sixth, he pounded a three-run shot to quiet the crowd and give the St. Louis Cardinals a two-run lead before hitting another homer worth two runs in the seventh.

If he would've gotten an at bat in the eighth, I'm sure he would've done something spectacular, but he didn't get another opportunity until the ninth. Of course he went yard again, this time with a solo shot to add to the Rangers' misery and complete the scoring at 16-7.

All in all, the most feared hitter in the game drove in six runs on five hits to give his team a 2-1 edge over the Rangers in the best-of-seven series. He couldn't have redeemed himself any better, just two nights after leaving the field without speaking to the media after his team's disappointing loss in which he committed an untimely error that ended up allowing the deciding run to score.

In one of the most badass performances in World Series history, Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only three players to go yard three times in a single Fall Classic game. Furthermore, he became the first player in Series history to get a hit in four straight innings and set a mark with total 14 bases.

Opposing manager Ron Washington had this to say about Pujols lights-out performance:

"I saw him on TV but I’ll tell you, tonight was something special."

Game 4 is all set for Sunday night, with Derek Holland taking the hill for the Rangers in Arlington against Cardinals righty Edwin Jackson. Earlier in the afternoon, the Rams play the Cowboys right across the street, so St. Louis and Texas sports fans are in for quite a debaucharous day of rivalry. Ah, baseball and football. Is there a better time of year?

[ESPN Sweetspot]