Albert Pujols was ornery after the NLCS Game 1, insulting the Mets’ Tom Glavine after the lefty’s masterpiece. Tony La Russa was angry before Game 2, defending his MVP candidate and castigating those who reported Pujols’ comments.

The snippy Pujols and his tightly wound manager didn’t leave New York frustrated, however.

The Cardinals’ first baseman was 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored, coming alive in the latter innings of St. Louis’ 9-6 victory over the Mets. He doubled and scored an insurance run in the ninth off Billy Wagner. He singled after an 11-pitch at-bat against Guillermo Mota in the seventh and scored on Scott Spiezio’s game-tying triple.

While Pujols reportedly stood by his comments about Glavine (“He wasn’t good,” he said Thursday), La Russa tsk-tsked two reporters who asked him about his star’s lack of decorum, according to ESPN.com.

“You get a guy who’s a hot competitor,” La Russa said before the game. “As soon as it’s over, he’s not happy about losing.

“So he makes a statement. It’s not a good statement. Glavine deserves credit. Now it gets blown up like he’s some kind of disrespectful pro.”

Yet Pujols’ comments were disrespectful, not to mention nearly unprecedented at this stage of the playoffs. Savvy players know not to insult, hence fire up, the opposition. But La Russa reportedly shouted, “No!” when asked if his right-handed slugger should know better.

“You guys should know better than to make a big issue out of it,” he reportedly said. “This guy’s a great pro. That’s what the answer is, use some common sense.”

The Cards manager, who has played sports editor with reporters over the years, the Mark McGwire performance-enhancer story is the prime example, implied his star might go silent. He meant with the media, not at the plate, where Pujols was held in check until getting hits in his final two at-bats.

“The answer is, [if] that player’s not talking then they’ll never be embarrassed, right?” he said. “And they’ll complain, say, ‘Oh, he won’t talk to the press.” Somebody takes a guy, right after the competition. They’re very vulnerable to say something.”

Although Pujols is one of the game’s best players, his relationship with the media is prickly. He recently told reporters, “You guys are a pain in the [butt]. You guys know that?” That was on workout day.