Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 9, Mets 2
By Rob Rains
It was another big night for the Cardinals’ offense – and another big night for Jordan Walker.
Walker hit one of three home runs for the Cardinals as they pounded the Mets on Wednesday night in New York, winning their sixth consecutive game.
The win improved the Cardinals’ record to nine games above .500, which equals their best record of the season.
Walker, working as the designated hitter, drove in four runs with a single in a two-run first inning and then launched a three-run homer in the fourth as the Cardinals built a 7-0 lead.
The homer run was the 17th of the season for Walker, surpassing his previous career high of 16 set as a rookie in 2023.
The other home runs came from Nelson Velazquez and Alec Burleson.
The beneficiary of the big offensive night was Andre Pallante, who only gave up three hits over six innings as he raised his record to 7-4.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals have scored at least five runs in each of their last six games … After taking the 2-0 lead in the first, Velazquez hit a two-out, two-run homer in the third, following a walk to Masyn Winn … Walker’s homer was a three-run shot, also with two outs, in the fourth and followed a single by JJ Wetherholt and a walk to Ivan Herrera … Burleson hit a solo shot in the ninth to complete the scoring … Wetherholt had three hits and scored twice.
On the mound: The only runs off Palante came on a two-run homer by Francisco Alvarez in the fourth. He walked two and struck out five … Pallante, Matt Svanson and JoJo Romero combined to retire 16 batters in a row after Alvarez’s homer before Romero hit a batter with a pitch with two outs in the ninth … The Mets were 0-of-6 with a runner in scoring position and in the first two games of the series are a combined 0-of-9 with a runner on second or third.
Key stat: The top four hitters in the Mets lineup were a combined 1-of-15 in the game while the top four hitters in the Cardinals lineup were a combined 7-of-18 with six runs scored and five RBIs.
Worth noting: Herrera drew two walks and singled in his first three plate appearances, reaching base in eight consecutive plate appearances in the first two games of the series before he struck out in the fifth … The Cardinals are 30-5 when scoring five or more runs this season … The Cardinals clinched the season series against the Mets for the first time since 2019.
Up next: Hunter Dobbins will make his second start for the Cardinals as they go for a series sweep on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. St. Louis time.
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