Mets' hitters file McGrievance as McGreevy hurls Cards to sweep

Cardinals 5 Mets 4 (Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo.)

Mets Record: 22-13

Mets Streak: L 2

Mets Last 10: 4-6

WP: Michael McGreevy (1-0)

LP: Max Kranick (2-1)

Seat On The Korner: Michael McGreevy

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

If the Mets' hopes for a successful big-league effort by a young pitcher didn't materialized for Blade Tidwell in Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Cardinals' Michael McGreevy came through for his team in Game 2 to secure St. Louis' twin-bill sweep and earn a post-game chat with Ralph.

McGreevy, recalled from Triple-A Memphis a day earlier, was brought on in relief of Cardinals starter Andre Pallante with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth and put down the Mets' threat. He started by striking out Mark Vientos looking. Brandon Nimmo then hit a 107-mph rope to right field that at first seemed as if it would be the big hit the Mets needed, but Cardinals right-fielder Jordan Walker made a tumbling catch to end the threat.

McGreevy was virtually unhittable after that, allowing just one hit — a harmless two-out single by Vientos in the sixth inning — while shutting out the Mets the rest of the way. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 80 pitches over the final 5.2 innings, striking out five and walking just one. He ended his outing by retiring 10 consecutive Mets hitters.

"He didn't shy away from contact," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said afterward of McGreevy. "He kept attacking."

In four appearances with the Cards last season, McGreevy was 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA.

Need To Know:

• Brendan Donovan's two-run homer in the Cardinals' second inning was only the second home run allowed by Tylor Megill this season.

• Starling Marte, making his first start of the season in right field or the Mets, stole second in the second inning, giving him 347 career stolen bases — the most in MLB among active players.

• Personal observation: Fans seated in the right-field area are losing out with Marte no longer a starter. Whereas Marte always brought several baseballs with him to the outfield and would spread them around among the fans each inning, Juan Soto doesn't bring any and at most provides fans with one souvenir an inning.

• The two-run single by Marte in the third inning came as no surprise — considering that he entered that at-bat with a .330 career average (34-for-103) with the bases loaded.

• Marte went 2-for-3 before being replaced in right field in the fifth inning by Jose Azocar. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Marte wasn't injured, but the team is just being cautious with his use.

• Tylor Megill's start was the first of his career at Busch Stadium.

• Pete Alonso drove in his 31st run of the season with his single in the third inning. Last season, Alonso didn't register his 31st RBI until June 4.

• This was the Mets' first doubleheader of the season, but their 33rd since 2021 — the most in the majors.

• Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado made an over-the-shoulder basket catch in foul territory on Juan Soto's pop to end the top of the eighth and then fell into the stands — landing on two small children. Arenado was visibly upset and gave the baseball to the family.

  
  

• Edwin Diaz came in to pitch the last of the eighth inning, his first appearance since April 26. He gave up two hits but didn't allow a run.

• Masyn Winn, the Cardinals' starting shortstop, left the game after four innings with a left-ankle strain suffered running the bases in the third. Winn had only recently returned from the injured list.

  
  

Turning Point:

After a bushel of runs by both teams early, neither club could muster much offense after the third inning. But the Cardinals' No. 9 hitter, Victor Scott II, came up with a big two-out knock in the sixth to put St. Louis ahead to stay.

Scott, who struck out twice and walked in his other trips to the plate, ripped a serve from Max Kranick into the right-centerfield gap for a double that drove in Yohel Pozo — who had singled — with the go-ahead run.

The Mets might have had a chance at the slow-footed Pozo had their relay been cleaner, as Francisco Lindor was unable to field a short hop on Tyrone Taylor's relay.

Three Keys:

Soto big HR bid thwarted

Juan Soto was the Mets' DH and entered the game with a .328 career batting average in that role, with six home runs in 62 at-bats — but was foiled of a bid for heroics in the fourth inning.

Soto, 1-for-2 at that point, lifted one high and deep to straightaway center off Cardinals starter Andre Pallante with two on and one out, but St. Louis center fielder Victor Scott II leaped above the wall to deprive the Mets' $765 million man of a three-run homer.

Wasted opportunities

The Mets pounded Cardinals starter Andre Pallante for nine hits while walking four times over the first 3.1 innings, but could never deliver the knockout blow. Pete Alonso hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the first, and Brandon Nimmo hit into a 4-6-3 DP in the second.

The Mets did get to Pallante in the third on singles by Tyrone Taylor, Francisco Lindor, Alonso (RBI), Starling Marte (2 RBI) and Francisco Alvarez (RBI), but Juan Soto hit into a force, Brandon Nimmo struck out and Luisangel Acuna grounded out to end the threat.

The Mets' rallied in the fourth but came up empty thanks to McGreevy's pitching and Jordan Walker's tumbling catch.

Burleson finally homers to get Cards on the board

Cardinals first baseman Alex Burleson was a power hitter still seeking his first home run of the season when he came to bat in the second inning, but ended his drought right there against Mets starter Tylor Megill.

With Nolan Arenado on base after his first of two infield hits — the first time he had two infield hits since May of 2019 — Burleson slugged an 0-1 serve by Megill into the right-field seats to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

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