NEW YORK — Winning three games in a row seems like a modest accomplishment, but it is something the Cardinals hope signifies a start in the right direction.
The victory over the Mets on Saturday in New York gave the Cardinals that three-game streak, their longest of the season. It also matches their longest streak since last July and brought them within one game of .500 (13-14) for the year.
The Cardinals gave Sonny Gray a 4-0 lead before he threw his first pitch, their best first inning of the season. They had scored a combined nine runs in the opening inning in their first 26 games of the year and had scored a total of three runs in the first in their last 12 games.
Here is how Saturday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The biggest hit in the first inning was a two-run single by Paul Goldschmidt, which followed a double by Brendan Donovan and singles by Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado. Goldschmidt later scored on a single by Masyn Winn as the Cardinals sent nine batters to the plate … The lead grew to 6-0 on an RBI double from Nolan Gorman in the third and a run-scoring balk in the fifth … Donovan drove in the seventh run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth … Goldschmidt also had an infield single in the fifth and scored on the balk but he struck out in his other three at-bats.
On the mound: Gray held the Mets to just two hits through the first four scoreless innings, but an error by Arenado in the fifth opened the door to a four-run inning. Three of the runs were unearned with Gray allowing a two-out homer to Pete Alonso, the only home run off him in 23 innings over his four starts … Gray struck out nine, including Francisco Lindor and J.D. Martinez three times each … Gray did issue three walks after having only one walk in his first three starts … The bullpen trio of JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley added three more shutout innings, although Helsley had to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn his ninth save.
Key stat: The Cardinals had five hits in the first inning after hitting a collective .191 (17-of-89) in the first inning prior to Saturday’s game. Goldschmidt had been 3-of-19 with no RBIs.
Worth noting: The Cardinals outfielders have combined to hit three home runs in 273 at-bats this season. Former Cardinal Tyler O’Neill hit his ninth in just 66 at-bats for the Red Sox on Saturday … Combined, Romero, Kittredge and Helsley have a 1.30 ERA (six earned runs in 41 2/3 innings). They also have allowed only one of five inherited runners to score … Victor Scott II had two hits and stole a base for Memphis on Saturday while Zack Thompson pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one it.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will send Lance Lynn to the mound on Sunday to try to complete the sweep of the three-game series in New York.
