NEW YORK (AP) — Hours after the Mets learned Max Scherzer will join fellow ace Jacob deGrom on the injured list, Pete Alonso kept New York rolling with a two-run homer in the 10th inning for a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
Paul Goldschmidt tied the score 5-all with two outs in the ninth off Mets closer Edwin Díaz with his fourth RBI of the game. Albert Pujols hit a run-scoring double play grounder in the 10th of the Cardinals' first-extra inning game this year.
With the automatic runner on second, Alonso drove the second pitch from Giovanny Gallegos (0-2) into the left field second deck for his third career game-ending home run. It was the 10th home run of the season for Alonso, who leads the major leagues with 33 RBIs.
Colin Holderman (1-0), who made his big league debut last weekend, got his first big league decision as the Mets moved a season-high 12 games over .500 by winning three of four from the Cardinals.
This was the first time since 2014 that the Mets won the season series against St. Louis.
Jeff McNeil had a tiebreaking, two-run single and three RBIs and two snazzy catches for New York.
The Mets said during the game that Scherzer had been diagnosed with a strained oblique muscle in his left side after leaving Wednesday night’s win following a pitch. Scherzer is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, another blow to a team that leads the NL East at 26-14 despite missing deGrom, No. 5 starter Tylor Megill and catcher James McCann to injuries, along with relievers Sean Reid-Foley and Trevor May.
Goldschmidt hit a tying home run in the third, a go-ahead double in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in the seventh. He tied it with an infield hit off the foot of shortstop Eduardo Escobar with with two outs in the ninth as Díaz (2-0) blew a save for the second time in 11 chances.
Harrison Bader had reached on an infield hit leading off the ninth for his third single, stole second for the second time on the day and advanced to third on a groundout.
McNeil used his right foot to push off against the wall in left field foul territory on Goldschmidt's sacrifice fly. McNeil landed in position to throw to second and nabbed Brendan Donovan, who tried to tag up from first.
Then with a runner on first in the eighth, McNeil made a sliding catch on a soft liner to deny Dylan Carlson and threw to second from his back.
New York took a 5-3 lead with a three-run fifth. Mark Canha scored on Brandon Nimmo’s grounder, just beating a high throw from first baseman Albert Pujols that was dropped by catcher Yadier Molina.
Nick Wittgren relieved Dakota Hudson, gave up a single to Lindor and loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk to Alonso that sent the NL RBIs leader sprawling. The ball whizzed just over the head of Alonso, who has been hit on the helmet twice this season.
McNeill, who drove in the Mets' first run with an infield grounder in the first, followed with a drive to shallow center ticked off the glove of Bader, a speedy Glove Glove winner who nearly made a sliding grab.
McNeil is hitting .313, including .400 with runners in scoring position.
Juan Yepez had a second-inning home run and his first three-hit game for Cardinals. He took a called third strike that stranded the bases loaded in the ninth.
OUCH!
Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante took a 111 mph liner from Alonso off his left shoulder in the seventh that went for an infield single, McNeil, the next batter, hit a 99 mph comebacker off the pitcher’s left foot, and Pallante retrieved the the ball to throw to first for the out.
LAST TRIP IN
The Mets honored Pujols and Molina before their last regular-season games at Citi Field and presented them with checks for their charities.
RETURNING
Mets OF Starling Marte likely will be activated Friday after returning from the Dominican Republic, where he traveled following the death of a grandmother
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: C Andrew Knziner left in the middle of the fifth inning after taking a pair of foul tips off his mask earlier in the game. ... INF Edmundo Sosa didn’t start after straining his left ankle while sliding into second when he was caught stealing in the fifth inning Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Ada Wainwright (4-3, 3.15) takes the moind on Friday in a series opener at Pittburgh, which starts RHP Zach Thompson (2-3, 5.47).
Mets: RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-1, 3.73) starts Friday’s series opener at Colorado and RHP Germán Márquez (1-3, 6.16).
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