One run games. They’re enough to rip the lining from your stomach and cause your throat to get sore from yelling, but for six straight games, the New York Mets have played these nail-biters. After Monday’s 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Amazins’ are two up and four down in such games as they blew leads of 2-1 and 5-2 on their way to their twelfth loss of the year, slipping one game below .500 again.
Adam Wainwright (1-3) started for the Cards and throughout his 15 year career, has never fared well against the Mets. The Mets are one of only two teams he has a losing record against in his career (5-6). He does, unfortunately, have a save or two against the Mets we’d all like to forget. He was opposed by the Mets Joey Lucchesi (0-2) who was making his first appearance in over a week.
The game featured scoring in innings one through three but nothing else as both teams’ bullpens shut the door on their opponents. For the Cards, it was their fifth win a row and 9th in their last 11.
The Mets played their first of 12 consecutive games outside of the National League East. Their next game against a familiar foe is May 17 against the Atlanta Braves.
The game was interrupted briefly in the ninth inning as the lights went out in Busch Stadium, but quickly were restored and the delay was minimal.
The game started innocently enough with the Mets being retired in order in the top of the first. Who would have known that zero on the scoreboard was the last until the top of the fourth as the two teams scored in each of the next five half-innings. In the bottom of the opening frame, the Cardinals took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Carlson who drove in Tommy Edman who tripled. It was Edman’s second triple of the year.
The Mets wasted little time getting that run back and more in the top of the second. Sending eight men to the plate, New York took a 2-1 lead on RBIs by Tomas Nido, who was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Jeff McNeil who walked with the bases full. Pete Alonso doubled to get things started in the frame which also featured some unusual managing by Cardinals’ skipper Mike Shildt. Shildt intentionally walked Jonathan Villar rather than playing his infield back to concede a run. The move gave the Mets an extra base runner which helped the Mets score a pair.
St. Louis tied the game in the bottom of the second on a line-drive home run by Harrison Bader. It was Bader’s second homer of the year and second in consecutive games. Lucchesi limited the damage by striking out Andrew Knizner to end the inning with the score tied at two.
The Mets took a three-run lead in the third. They had Wainwright on the ropes from the first batter, Michael Conforto, who walked to start things off. It was Wainwright’s third walk of the game, which was above his BB/9 to date which had been below two. Alonso followed with his second double of the contest. Dominic Smith rolled a grounder to deep first which scored Conforto and give the Mets a 3-2 lead. Kevin Pillar followed with a blast to deep center that cleared the wall, giving the Mets a 5-2 advantage. It was Pillar’s second homer of the year.
It was the Cardinals turn in the bottom of the third. After two were out, the Red Birds strung together five consecutive hits highlighted by a 3-run homer by Nolan Arenado, his fifth of the year. It also featured the continued exploits of Paul DeJong. DeJong, the light hitting St. Louis shortstop, just strafes the Mets when he sees them doubling in the inning. He now has 20 extra base hits in 21 games against the Amazins’. Robert Gsellman came into the game to get the final out, with the Cards now ahead, 6-5.
New York failed to score in the top of the fourth, ending the scoring spree. Neither team, in fact, scored for the rest of the game.
The Mets did put a scare in the Cards’ lights-out closer, Alex Reyes, but failed to break through allowing Reyes to earn his eighth save.
Lucchesi went 2.2 innings allowing six runs on 7 hits. Much was made in Mets circles as to why Jordan Yamamoto, a right-hander, didn’t get the start against the predominantly right-handed Cardinals’ lineup. The decision, right or wrong, left Lucchesi with a 10.13 ERA when all things were said and done.
Gsellman pitched an effective 2.1 innings allowing zero ERs and no-hits. Sean Reid-Foley was also very good in Monday’s game allowing two hits while striking out three in two innings of work. Jacob Barnes retired the Cards in the eighth as the bullpen started another scoreless streak.
Alonso’s batting average is slowly creeping north with three hits including two doubles. He is now hitting .282. Also noteworthy was the excellent defensive gems turned in by Jeff McNeil. He had at least three sparkling plays covering the Busch Stadium infield like a rug.
The Mets will continue their four-game set with the Cardinals on Tuesday. Jacob deGrom will start for the Mets with an extra day off. The last time he pitched with an extra day, he twirled a 2-hit, 15 strikeout masterpiece against the Washington Nationals in one of his best outings ever. DeGrom will face a minor league call-up named Johan Oviedo making his second career start on Tuesday. First pitch is at 7:45 PM and it will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS-880.
