The New York Mets (39-45) took the first game of their series with the St. Louis Cardinals (41-45) with a 6-5 win on Friday night at Busch Stadium.

Pitching

The Mets sent the sizzling hot Jacob deGrom (8-3, 3.55 ERA) to the mound to face Carlos Martinez (6-7, 3.15 ERA) who was looking to rebound from one of his worst starts of the season in his last outing. DeGrom did not pitch quite as well as he has pitched in his last four starts, but was still able to pick up the win; his fifth in a row. He gave up eight hits, no walks, and four runs on four home runs in seven innings while striking out five.

Jerry Blevins started the eighth inning, but was taken out after he gave up a leadoff baserunner who later came around to score. Paul Sewald came in after Blevins and gave up the run on a sac fly. Sewald however, was able to get out of the inning.

Addison Reed came on in the ninth for his 15th save of the season which he attained through a perfect inning.

Offense

The Mets offense was active from the get-go against Martinez. The Mets loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs. However, they only scored one run in the inning as T.J. Rivera was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Lucas Duda then grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jose Reyes led off the second inning with a line drive home run to right field to put the Mets up 2-0.

After the Cardinals tied the game in the third, the Mets scored two more in the fourth. Travis d’Arnaud drove in Reyes from second on a single and later in the inning Curtis Granderson drove in deGrom from first on a double.

The Cardinals tied the game once again in the bottom of the fourth, but the Mets regained the lead yet again behind a solo shot from Jay Bruce in the fifth.

Rivera extended the Mets’ lead in the seventh with a RBI double scoring Yoenis Cespedes.

On Deck-

Zack Wheeler (3-5, 5.01 ERA) will be looking to rebound after being taken out in the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in his last start. He will start on extra rest due to the postponement of Wednesday’s game which pushed deGrom into his scheduled spot for Friday’s game. The Cardinals will send Adam Wainwright (9-5, 5.48 ERA) to the hill to take on Wheeler. First pitched is scheduled for 4:10 PM ET.