NEW YORK — Kodai Senga continued his dominant performance on the mound, extending his scoreless innings to 19 as the New York Mets secured a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. The win marked the Mets’ third consecutive triumph against the Cardinals in this four-game series.
Pete Alonso made a significant contribution by driving in two runs, highlighted by a home run, while Juan Soto chipped in with an RBI single that propelled the Mets forward. New York’s win streak in this matchup evidences their strong form.
Senga, now sitting at a 3-1 record, was instrumental in the win as he allowed only three hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. With four strikeouts, his impressive performance lowered his ERA to a remarkable 0.79. The Mets bullpen maintained the shutout, with Reed Garrett, A.J. Minter, and Edwin Díaz combining to deliver hitless relief performances. Díaz capped it off with a seamless ninth inning securing his fifth save of the season, marking the Mets’ fourth shutout.
The Cardinals struggled on the road, dropping to 1-8 away from home. Matthew Liberatore, the Cardinals’ starting pitcher, took the loss despite a solid outing. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, yielding two runs and six hits, throwing 100 pitches — the highest by any Cardinals starter this season.
Offensively, Juan Soto had two hits in the game, boosting his season average to .240. His RBI single in the third inning opened the scoring, with Soto then scoring off Alonso’s double. Alonso continued his solid form with his sixth home run of the season in the eighth off John King.
Defensively, Brett Baty made a pivotal play by preventing a run in the fifth inning. He threw out Thomas Saggese as Saggese attempted to score on Yohel Pozo’s grounder to third.
A key moment unfolded in the eighth inning when Minter loaded the bases with walks. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor executed a critical play by ranging to the right of second base and making a difficult throw to retire Alec Burleson and end the scoring threat.
A notable statistic from the game was Brendan Donovan’s 0-for-4 line, halting his career-high 14-game hitting streak. Donovan was denied a hit in the fourth inning after Mark Vientos made an impressive leaping catch.
The series finale is set for Sunday, where Mets right-hander Clay Holmes, who holds a record of 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA, will face Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray, boasting a perfect 3-0 record and 3.13 ERA.