St. Louis @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 22, 2011 ) St. Louis 16, Texas 7

THE STORY: Albert Pujols has quite an act to follow when the St. Louis Cardinals look to expand on their 2-1 lead over the Texas Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday. Pujols put on one of the top offensive shows in World Series history in Saturday’s contest by tying records with three homers, six RBIs and five hits in the Cardinals’ 16-7 trouncing of the Rangers. Pujols joins Babe Ruth (1926, 1928) and Reggie Jackson (1977) as the only players with three homers in a World Series game, and he set a record with 14 total bases.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Fox.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Edwin Jackson (12-9, 3.79 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (16-5, 3.95 ERA)

Jackson is 1-0 with a 5.84 ERA in three postseason starts. He lasted just two innings in his most-recent outing against the Milwaukee Brewers. Jackson is 2-3 with a 4.02 ERA in seven career starts against Texas. Ian Kinsler is batting .333 with two homers in 18 career at-bats against Jackson.

Holland is 1-0 with a 5.27 ERA in four postseason appearances. He has allowed five homers in 13 2/3 innings and hasn’t made it through the fifth inning in two of his three starts. Holland has never faced the Cardinals. Nick Punto is 3-for-5 with a homer against Holland.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Pujols has 18 career postseason homers, including four in World Series play. His six RBIs tied the record shared by Bobby Richardson (1960) and Hideki Matsui (2009) and his five hits matched the mark set by Paul Molitor in 1982. The 16 runs scored by the Cardinals tied for second most in World Series. The record is 18 scored by the 1936 New York Yankees. Yadier Molina had four RBIs and David Freese had two hits to extend his postseason hitting streak to 13 games. Saturday’s victory was the 68th postseason win for Tony La Russa, pushing him past Bobby Cox for second-most wins behind Joe Torre’s 84.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Texas had four extra-base hits, including homers by Michael Young and Nelson Cruz, after having just two over the first two games. Adrian Beltre had four hits is batting .538 in the series. Josh Hamilton (.083) had his first hit of the World Series and speculated before Game 3 that he might have a sports hernia as opposed to a groin injury.

FINAL PITCH: The Cardinals have scored first in each game of the World Series and in 10 consecutive postseason games overall.