ST. LOUIS (AP) – Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen, and the Cardinals beat the New York Mets 6-5 Monday night for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired, hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York had poorly struggled with runners in scoring position this season, a trouble spot last year when Davis worked remotely because of coronavirus concerns.
Several accomplished hitters are off to slow starts for the Mets, including $341 million newcomer Francisco Lindor. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment.
When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Smith on a flyball for the final out. Nolan Arenado and Harrison Bader homered to back Wainwright’s first win of the season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless innings. Wainwright (1-3) had been out because of virus contact tracing. He fell behind 5-2 in the third inning but didn’t give up any more runs before leaving with two outs in the sixth.
Genesis Cabrera and Giovanny Gallegos combined for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Reyes worked around a pair of walks in the ninth to earn his eighth save – he has not allowed an earned run in 14 1/3 innings this season.
Joey Lucchesi (0-2) allowed six runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings after being recalled from the Mets‘ alternate training site to make a start. He has not pitched into the fourth inning in any of his three starts this season.
Smith drove in a run on a groundout, and Kevin Pillar hit a two-run homer to put the Mets up in the third.
Arenado answered with a three-run drive in the bottom half to make it 5-all. His fifth home run of the season landed in the left-field bullpen. Paul DeJong and Tyler O’Neill followed with doubles to put St. Louis ahead.
Bader hit a 450-foot home run to the left-field bleachers, a solo drive that made it 2-all in the second. He connected a day after hitting his first homer of the season.
Tommy Edman led off the first inning with a triple and scored on Dylan Carlson’s sacrifice fly.
Wainwright hit Tomás Nido in the elbow with the bases loaded to tie it in the second. Two batters later, Jeff McNeil walked to put the Mets up 2-1.
BIG NUMBER
Wainwright reached 1,000 strikeouts at the current Busch Stadium when he fanned Smith in the second inning. Wainwright is the first Cardinals pitcher to have 1,000 strikeouts at a home ballpark and 24th in significant league history to accomplish the feat.
