The New York Mets (22-11) exploded for 17 hits, cruising to a 9-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals (14-19) on Friday night at Busch Stadium.
Clay Holmes bounced back after a shaky start. Despite allowing three runs early, including a throwing error by Francisco Alvarez that tied the game, Holmes settled in and pitched six solid innings. He limited the Cardinals to three runs on eight hits, striking out three without issuing a walk.
The Mets’ offense got going early, capitalizing on Sonny Gray’s struggles in the second inning. Alvarez drove in a run with a grounder, and the Mets took a 2-1 lead. However, it was in the fifth inning that they really broke the game open. Juan Soto crushed a double, followed by Pete Alonso’s 417-foot home run to put the Mets ahead 4-3. The rally continued with four straight hits, and Alvarez added another RBI for a 6-3 lead.
Nimmo added a homer in the seventh, and Alvarez drove in his third run of the game with another clutch hit. Luisangel Acuña also contributed with a double and sacrifice fly, ensuring the Mets’ dominant win.
José Buttó and Ryne Stanek both threw scoreless innings in relief.
The Mets will look to keep their momentum going when they face the Cardinals again on Saturday at 2:15 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].