Pujols scores 3-run homer as Cardinals beat Blue Jays

TORONTO: Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer and finished with three hits, and the St. Louis 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.

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.

Bo Bichette’s two-out RBI single in the fourth scored Toronto’s lone run. Kevin Gausman (7-8) allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

METS WINS: Starling Marte singled home the winning run in the ninth inning, and the Mets beat the Yankees for a two-game sweep of their Subway Series.

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 David Peterson.

Pete Alonso homered early off Domingo Germán, and Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Mets before a sellout crowd at Citi Field. Seth Lugo (2-2) struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Wandy Peralta (2-3), who entered in the ninth on his 31st birthday, surrendered Marte’s gameending hit.

Less than an hour after the game, the slumping Yankees boosted their lineup by acquiring outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City in a trade for three minor leaguers.

ATHLETICS DOWN ASTROS: Cole Irvin allowed four hits over seven innings, and Oakland earned its first winning sweep in 32 series this season.

Oakland, an Al-worst 38-63, won three in a row from AL West-leading Houston (64-35) and has won six of its last eight against the Astros. Houston was swept in a series for the first time since last Sept. 24-26, also at Oakland.