Top 10 postseason moments etched in St. Louis Cardinals lore

6. Albert Pujols' 3-homer World Series game (2011)

In the final year of his contract with the Cardinals and fresh off a down season by his standards (i.e., not hitting .300 for the first time in his career), Albert Pujols was still determined to bring a second championship to St. Louis during his time with the team.

The World Series against the Texas Rangers was tied 1-1 going into Game 3, where Pujols reminded everyone that he was still one of the greatest players in the game. El Hombre had been hitless in the first two games, but he made up for it by slamming three home runs and hitting two singles for good measure. The Cardinals ran away with the game, winning 16-7.

Although Pujols' feats in Game 3 were overshadowed by those of David Freese three games later, it may have been the best performance in history by a player in a World Series game. The game was a fitting conclusion to Pujols' time with the Cardinals until he signed with the team 11 years later for his final season.

5. Grover Cleveland Alexander saves World Series Game 7 (1926)

Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander was in the twilight of his career when the Cardinals plucked him off waivers from the Chicago Cubs in the middle of the 1926 season. In Game 7 of the 1926 World Series against the New York Yankees, Cardinals manager Rogers Hornsby called on Alexander, who had just pitched a complete game the previous day, to close the door.

According to many sources, Alexander was either drunk or hungover when he took the ball from Jesse Haines with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh inning after Haines had to leave the game with a blister. Despite his potentially inebriated state, Alexander struck out the Yankees' Tony Lazzeri and retired the side in order in the eighth inning.

In the ninth inning with the Cardinals up 3-2, catcher Bob O'Farrell caught Babe Ruth stealing to close out the series. Alexander later denied being drunk during the game, but the rumors persist to this day. Although Alexander died penniless after battling alcoholism, his performance in Game 7 and the story that surrounds it make him an integral piece of Cardinals history.