By MATT PIKE
Jordan Walker helped power the St. Louis Cardinals to a sixth win in a row, driving in four runs as the Redbirds beat the New York Mets 9-2 at Citi Field, matching a season high win streak.
St. Louis starter Andre Pallante improved to 7-4 on the season, allowing two runs on just three hits in six innings while striking out five and walking two. The win was the third straight for Pallante who surpassed his win total from 2025 when he finished 6-15.
Walker knocked in the first run with an RBI single, driving in JJ Wetherholt, off New York opener Austin Warren in a two-run first inning. Iván Herrera scored the second run of the frame as Masyn Winn reached on a force out, with Lars Nootbaar being thrown out at second base for the second out of the inning after he walked.
Leading 2-0, the Cardinals extended the lead in the third inning when Nelson Velázquez hit a two-run shot, scoring Winn, to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. The lead jumped in the very next inning on a three run home run by Walker when he hammered David Peterson’s fastball into the center-field seats for a three-run shot, bringing home Herrera and Wetherholt to push the St. Louis lead to 7-0, heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Mets scored their two runs as Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run home run, bringing home A.J Ewing, in his second game back after missing four weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee. In the fifth inning though, the Cardinals again extended the lead on an RBI single from José Fermín, driving in Nathan Church for an 8-2 lead.
Alec Burleson capped the scoring in the ninth inning, homering for the second straight night and extending his hitting streak to 10 games. After the home run led off the ninth, the Mets got three straight outs, before JoJo Romero pitched a clean ninth inning, only hitting Eric Wagaman with a pitch, to end the game.
At the plate, Walker was 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI's. Wetherholt was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Winn was 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base while scoring a run.
St. Louis and New York wrap up their series tomorrow. Hunter Dobbins (1-0, 2.77 ERA, 14K's) takes the mound for the Cardinals in the finale against Christian Scott (2-0, 2.50 ERA, 41K's) for the Mets. First pitch is at 12:10pm, with coverage beginning at noon on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
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