Mets Snap Losing Streak with Close Win Against Cardinals
After two tough games in the series, questions about the Mets’ chances of winning again, let alone competing for a .500 record or a wild-card spot, were rising.
But on Thursday, the Mets managed to pull off a narrow 5-4 victory over the Cardinals at Citi Field.
Christian Scott recorded his seventh win in just nine starts, while Juan Soto supplied a crucial two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
This win, though important, only prevented the Mets from being swept at home and dropping 10 games under .500.
As the first-place Braves head to Queens on Friday, the Mets are left to ponder how to regain some positive momentum in a seemingly lost season.
Soto, who had been struggling with no extra-base hits all month, showed signs of life by hitting a double that contributed to a run, followed by his home run later in the game after a rough stretch where he was 3-for-32.
Scott faced challenges as well, beginning with a shaky performance that kept him from making an impact until the fifth inning.
Despite having allowed just one run over his previous three starts, Scott gave up four runs and a career-high three home runs in his short outing.
The Cardinals struck first when Alec Burleson launched a 424-foot solo home run in the first inning. Carson Benge then singled, allowing Bo Bichette to follow up with a two-run homer that briefly put the Mets ahead, 2-1.
Later in the first, Jared Young hit his fourth home run of the season. However, the second inning turned against Scott when he allowed extra-base hits to four of the five batters, including a leadoff homer from Lars Nortover and a two-run shot from Jimmy Crooks, flipping the score to 4-3 in favor of the Cardinals.
In the fifth, Soto’s double off left-hander Justin Brühl led to another score, and later, with two outs in the seventh, he drove in what became the game-winning hit with his deep homer.
This marked Soto’s 14th homer of the year.
Relievers AJ Minter, Brooks Lally, and Luke Weaver contributed solid innings, while Devin Williams secured his first save since late May.
However, this one victory isn’t likely to spark a run for the Mets in the wild-card race, even as they ended the Cardinals’ six-game winning streak.
Before the game, David Peterson shared his thoughts on the season, saying, “It takes a long time to have a good year. We’ve climbed up the standings. The best thing to do is to simplify things and win 1-0 today and look forward to better days.” It’s clear that improvement won’t happen overnight.
