ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― First, Alexi Ogando watched Albert Pujols circle the bases. Then, Michael Gonzalez. And finally, Darren Oliver.

Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game, tying records with five hits and six RBIs to lead the Cardinals to a 16-7 rout of the Texas Rangers on Saturday night that gave St. Louis a 2-1 Series lead.

Two days after being criticized for his silence following a crucial error in Game 2, Pujols did the talking with his bat. The three-time MVP turned on a 96 mph fastball from Ogando in the sixth for a 423-foot, three-run homer that clanked off the facing above the restaurant windows in left field and made it 11-6. Then he added a two-run shot to left-center in the seventh and a solo drive to left-center in the ninth.

Former President George W. Bush and Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan looked dismayed, watching from front-row seats. Ryan must have felt a temptation to head out to the mound and throw a few pitches in hopes of restoring order.

Pujols matched the three-homer feat accomplished by Ruth in 1926 and 1928, and by Jackson in 1977. Both those Hall of Fame sluggers did it for the New York Yankees.

Matt Harrison, Scott Feldman, Ogando, Gonzalez, Mark Lowe and Oliver combined to give up 15 hits, three more than the Cardinals had in the first two games. St. Louis set a franchise postseason scoring record.

And the Rangers’ infield almost erred for the cycle, with first baseman Mike Napoli, second baseman Ian Kinsler and shortstop Elvis Andrus all making miscues.

Josh Hamilton is wincing his way to the end of the season. The reigning AL MVP went 1 for 5 and dropped to 1 for 11 (.083) in the Series, although he stopped an 0-for-18 Series skid dating to last year with a fifth-inning single. Hamilton, who said before the game his groin injury may be a sports hernia, is homerless in 53 at-bats during this year’s postseason.

Following two crisp games during a split in St. Louis, the teams played a messy Texas shootout that saw the fourth and fifth innings alone drag on for 1 hour, 22 minutes. The teams combined for a Series-record 17 runs in the middle three innings, six more than the previous mark, and the 23 runs overall were the third-most in a Series game, trailing Toronto’s 15-14 victory over Philadelphia in 1993 and Florida’s 14-11 win over Cleveland in 1997.

Before all the homers, a blown call changed the game.

Allen Craig, who had run-scoring, pinch-hit singles in the first two games, homered on Harrison’s seventh pitch.

Pujols singled leading off the fourth and Matt Holliday hit a grounder to Andrus for what should have been a double play. The shortstop tossed to second, but Kinsler’s throw was high and off line, pulling Napoli off the bag.

Playing first base for the first time in the Series, Napoli caught the throw and his glove came down hard on Holliday’s left shoulder, with the runner a step short of the bag. But first base umpire Ron Kulpa, who grew up in St. Louis, called Holliday safe despite arguments from Napoli and Rangers manager Ron Washington.

Lance Berkman singled, and David Freese’s double down the right field line gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Yadier Molina was intentionally walked and Jon Jay hit a bouncer to Napoli, who had plenty of time to throw home for a forceout. But his throw went wide and past lunging catcher Yorvit Torrealba as two runs scored. Ryan Theriot singled to make it 5-0.

From there, the ball started bouncing around as if in a pinball machine,

St. Louis allowed Texas to close to 5-3 in the bottom half as Michael Young hit a solo homer and Nelson Cruz a two-run drive to chase starter Kyle Lohse. The Cardinals opened an 8-3 advantage in the fifth, but the Rangers closed to 8-6 in the bottom of the inning and had the bases loaded when Kinsler hit an inning-ending popup.