Pujols hits 3-run HR, Cards overcome absences, beat Jays 6-1

TORONTO — Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer and finished with three hits, passing Rogers Hornsby on St. Louis’ career list, and the Cardinals stopped Toronto’s seven-game win streak with a 6-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

Adam Wainwright pitched seven sparkling innings to help St. Louis earn a split of the two-game set while playing without unvaccinated sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Nolan Gorman homered, and Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar each hit an RBI double.

Foreign nationals who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 are not allowed to enter Canada, save for limited exceptions that require a 14-day quarantine. Unvaccinated baseball players are placed on the restricted list, where they are not paid and do not accrue major league service time.

Goldschmidt, Arenado, and catcher Austin Romine, who all went on the restricted list Tuesday, will be eligible to return when the Cardinals begin a three-game series at Washington on Friday.

Facing Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, Pujols singled in the second and doubled in the fourth. The hits were his 2,110th and 2,111th with the Cardinals, moving him past Hornsby for fourth-most in franchise history.

“That’s what you’re hoping for, is him to step up and be able to carry us at a time when we didn’t have Goldy and Nolan, and he did exactly that,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He knew what was on the line and that we were going to have to depend on him.”

Gausman left after walking Tyler O’Neill in the fifth and Pujols greeted Trevor Richards with his seventh homer of the season and No. 686 for his career. Pujols ranks fifth on baseball’s homer list, 10 behind Alex Rodriguez.

“He’s unbelievable,” Wainwright said of Pujols. “He might be old but he can still hit.”

An 11-time All-Star and three-time NL MVP, Pujols flied out to center in his final at-bat in the seventh.

“I’m ready to hit wherever they put me in the lineup,” said Pujols, who batted fourth in both games against the Blue Jays.

Pitching in Toronto for the first time since June 24, 2010, Wainwright (7-8) allowed one run and five hits for his first victory since June 27 against Miami. He bounced back nicely after allowing a season-worst seven runs in his previous outing, a loss at Cincinnati.

“Just a great opportunity to go out and prove that I still had what it takes to be a great pitcher in this game,” Wainwright said. “I had a good curveball tonight, good cutter. Still got to work on fastball command a bit but my spin was good tonight.”

Bo Bichette’s two-out RBI single in the fourth brought home Toronto’s lone run.

Gausman (7-8) allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He has won just once in his past four outings.

“Obviously, I was in the clubhouse a lot earlier than I wanted to be,” Gausman said.

Gorman hit an opposite-field homer off Gausman to begin the fifth, his 10th.

Mets edge Yankees 3-2 in 9th for 2-game Subway Series sweep

NEW YORK (AP) — With two first-place teams on the field, the New York Mets made this Subway Series a one-way ride.

Starling Marte singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Mets beat the crosstown Yankees 3-2 Wednesday night for a two-game sweep.

Max Scherzer was marvelous on his 38th birthday, striking out Aaron Judge three times to help the Mets take a 2-0 lead into the eighth. Gleyber Torres tied it with a two-run homer off reliever David Peterson, normally a starter.

“Every time Max had to make a pitch, he made it,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “Just so strong mentally.”

After the game, the slumping Yankees boosted their lineup by acquiring All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals in a trade for three minor league pitchers.

“It’s another great hitter,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I’ll be excited to write his name in.”

Pete Alonso homered early off Domingo Germán, and Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Mets before a sellout crowd of 43,693 at Citi Field.

Making his Subway Series debut, Scherzer permitted five hits over seven innings and struck out six — including Judge in two big situations. The Yankees went 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position during the series.

“Actually, I thought we played a really good game,” Boone said. “I thought we had the right at-bats against Scherzer. We hit into some tough luck in some big spots.”

Eduardo Escobar doubled on the first pitch from Wandy Peralta (2-3), who entered in the ninth on his 31st birthday. Escobar advanced on a sacrifice bunt by No. 9 batter Tomás Nido, who doubled and scored earlier.

Escobar held at third when Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single that a lunging Peralta was unable to corral cleanly. Marte, who struck out his first three times up, then ripped a line drive into left field over a drawn-in infield.

Marte was swarmed by excited teammates as the Mets celebrated their ninth walk-off win against the Yankees and first Subway Series sweep since May 2014 in the Bronx.

“That’s all I wanted for my birthday, so that’s what we got,” Scherzer said.

In the clubhouse, Mets players gifted Marte with an enormous, gaudy, green sombrero.

“We like playing in situations like that,” he said through a translator.

Seth Lugo (2-2) struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.

The Mets extended their NL East lead to three games over Atlanta with their seventh victory in the last nine meetings against the Yankees. This series marked only the second time the city rivals were both in first place when they squared off — the other came in April 2015.