ARLINGTON, Texas — Move over Babe and Reggie. Albert has made a threesome out of a very exclusive World Series club.
Albert Pujols delivered the most impressive World Series performance ever when the Cardinals needed it the most.
Involved in a Game 3 slugfest with the Rangers last night at hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark, the most lethal hitter in baseball slugged three homers and lifted the Cardinals to a 16-7 victory that was witnessed by 51,642.
Pujols, who started the game hitless in six Series at-bats, went 5-for-6, drove in six runs and collected a World Series record 14 total bases.
“It’s pretty special,” Pujols said of joining Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three homers in a World Series game. Ruth did it twice. “Those guys are great players and to do it at that level and on this stage is amazing.”
The victory put the NL champs up 2-1 in the best-of-7 World Series that continues tonight with Game 4. Edwin Jackson starts for the Cardinals and Derek Holland, easily Texas’ most ineffective starter, gets the ball for the Rangers.
A win tonight puts the Cardinals in a great spot because they have ace Chris Carpenter set to start Game 5 against C.J. Wilson, who has lost one game in each of the three rounds this October.
After low-scoring, well-pitched efforts in Games 1 and 2, the much-anticipated muscle surfaced in Game 3 and Pujols led the flexing show that included a first-inning home run by Allen Craig.
After extending his Series funk to 0-for-7 with a groundout in the first, Pujols singled in the fourth and fifth then showed why he is the most feared hitter in the game.
His monstrous three-run homer in the sixth off gas-throwing Alexi Ogando hit the cement on the second deck of the stadium in left and was measured at 423 feet. The next inning he crushed a two-run blast to center. He joined Babe and Reggie in the ninth with a solo shot to left-center.
“This has got to be the greatest,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “Has somebody had a better day than this ever in a World Series? I mean with Babe and Reggie, that’s pretty good company right there. That’s a first right? How does total bases rank? I’d say that’s World Series history.”
The 14 total bases is a Series record. The five hits and six RBIs tie the record.
The three clouts also eased the pressure on first base umpire Ron Kulpa. His blown call in the fourth inning at first base cost the Rangers a double play and fueled a four-run inning that hiked the Cardinals’ lead to 5-0.
Kulpa, a St. Louis native and current resident working his first World Series, admitted he missed the call on Matt Holliday at first. Mike Napoli tagged Holliday on the head before his feet touched first base.
That opened the door for the Rangers to take advantage of a poor throw home by Napoli that made the four runs unearned.
The Rangers mounted several comebacks and cut the Cardinals’ lead to 8-6 in the fifth when they scored three runs. Michael Young and Nelson Cruz had homered in a three-run fourth.
But Pujols’ blast off Ogando created separation and the next two were for the history books.
george.king@nypost.com