Pujols, Waino turn back the clock as Cards hammer Jays

TORONTO -- For two hours and 57 minutes, time moved backwards at Rogers Centre.

Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright could have fooled anyone into believing that the year was 2010, as they each delivered a couple of stellar, old-school performances in the Cardinals’ 6-1 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

“That’s why we still play the game,” said Wainwright. “We feel like we can contribute. I don’t think he’s out there, and I’m not out there, to be mascots. We want to go out and continue to be quality players.”

The 42-year-old Pujols became the oldest player to hit a home run -- No. 686 of his career -- at Rogers Centre, leading the charge of the Cardinals’ offensive surge with a three-hit night. That provided Wainwright with plenty of run support as the right-hander struck out eight without issuing a walk over seven innings of one-run ball.

The vintage win stood out beyond the Cardinals’ clubhouse.

“It feels like I got here in a DeLorean, went back in time,” said Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider. “You've got to tip your cap. They've been doing it for a long time and, obviously, both of them had great nights.”

It was just what the Cardinals needed from two stars who’ve made a career out of stepping up in big moments.

In the midst of an inconsistent stretch, a depleted St. Louis team traveled to Toronto without two of its biggest stars in Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. So, manager Oliver Marmol went to Pujols as the cleanup hitter in the absence of his big bats.

The reason? Twenty-two years of clutch hitting -- and a 1.011 OPS over the past 10 games.

“You get these veteran guys in Albert and Waino and they know what’s on the line,” said Marmol. “They sniff what’s possible and what we set out to do.”

The home run was no cheap shot, either. Pujols sent a Trevor Richards fastball 439 feet to center field, per Statcast, for a three-run homer, his second hardest-hit big fly of the season at 108 mph off the bat.

“That’s what you’re hoping for,” said Marmol. “For him to step up and be able to carry us in a time when we didn’t have Goldy and Nolan. And he did exactly that. He knew what was on the line. He’s been in the game for a couple of decades because he knows how to do that.”

The win gave the Cardinals a series split with the Blue Jays and some reprieve from American League East opponents, who’ve taken nine of 13 games against St. Louis this year.

“We needed this,” said the 40-year-old Wainwright, who hadn’t pitched in Toronto since 2010, when Vernon Wells hit two home runs off him and Pujols went 1-for-4 while still in his first iconic stint with the Cardinals.

Wainwright remembers it vividly.

“I pitched four innings,” he recalled. “When I came out, my pitching coach said, ‘It’s alright. We’re going to get you out early, give you a breather. You can keep going, but today wasn’t your day.’ I can still remember that conversation.”

Despite the disappointment in Toronto, that season turned out alright for Wainwright and Pujols, who were both named All-Stars among other accolades.

Things look pretty different from the last time these two traveled north of the border as teammates. And there’s a level of comfort in having each other as the game changes around them.

“Most of these guys are 15 years younger than me,” Wainwright said of his current teammates. “So, it’s nice to have conversations about the old days sometimes. And just life -- because our lives are going through a lot of the same things, with kids and all that kind of stuff. ... It’s good to have a peer on the team that you can talk life with.”

After all this time, Wainwright is still in awe of Pujols.

“He’s unbelievable,” Wainwright said. Then, he raised his voice and projected it toward his teammate’s locker. “He might be old, but he can still hit.”

Pujols laughed. Then, he spoke about the value of contributing to such a stellar outing from his starter.

“Adam did his job, but the top of the lineup did its job also,” said Pujols. “ … It’s always good, any time you can give a little cushion [to the starter] like that.”

It was a humble response, but wins like these have a little bit more to them.

“With these veteran guys, this is their last run, and these last games here are meaningful,” said Marmol. “We’re setting out to do something so that their story ends well.”